Megaman X: A Heart of Blue
by Megaman Trigger 2.0
Summary: Book 1 in Megaman X series. When a strange dark Reploid attacks Alia and leaves the Maverick Hunters baffled X goes on a quest to find her attacker. Can X find who did it? And what is this feeling that Alia says she wants to tell X about?
1. CHAPTER 1: And So It Begins

Mavericks, horrid machines and reploids that go wild and break one of the most important laws of robotics.

A ROBOT MUST NEVER HARM A HUMAN

This one law is the most important and most basic of them all. And ever reploid in the world must follow it. However there are a select few who do not, and those are labeled mavericks as such.

To counter these mavericks there is an elite group of reploids who fight for the cause of peace for reploids and humans.

And this group is called the Maverick Hunters.

The Maverick Hunters work long and hard to oppose these mavericks and out of all the many hunters there are many will tell you that the strongest two are Megaman X and Zero.

X and Zero are, as many would say, the only reason why the entire earth hasn't been decimated by mavericks. And they are right. X and Zero have done much to defend us all, and I must say they are quite good at it.

When I found X all those years ago I knew the potential he carried…but I never knew he would become this powerful. For many years I have watched X grow and become more powerful…and I hope that someday he will be strong enough to guide us all into an era of peace….

Zero…he has also shown great power and potential. I knew he would do great things the minute we brought him into the program…and I was right, as usual. I have never seen a reploid with better speed and precision as him…and I must say, I am quite proud of him.

But after Sigma's betrayal due to the Sigma Virus…we need all the strong hunters we can get. I'm just glad that we are having a quiet winter this year…last year we had six different incidents of maverick attacks, but this year has been quiet.

Of course with the mavericks being this calm, we are due for a powerful attack. But I know that the Maverick Hunters will stand strong and defeat all that oppose them.

May god have mercy on the Maverick Hunters………and may an era of peace follow the shadows to come…..

Memoir of Dr. Cain

Page 23

Chapter 1: The Begging of the End

Dr. Cain pressed the save button on his computer and shut it down for the night. Looking out the window into the snowy night he became lost in deep thought.

_Is there any way to create peace from all of this? Or will we all fight till we die, and then still know no peace…._

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X lay in his bed at the Maverick Hunter HQ, he couldn't get any sleep. Not that Reploids really needed sleep, but X always felt better after relaxing for what humans would call sleep.

X stood and walked toward the window and looked outside. The gentle brush of snow glazed ever house top and leaf it fell upon. The Courtyard was covered in snow all around. X enjoyed the strange things that the weather did each day, one day it would be hot and sunny, and then a few days later it would be cold and cloudy. Some days it rained, when X seemed to enjoy sometimes, as long as he didn't get wet. He just enjoyed the gentle look of rain. Something as small and gentle as rain can make something, a tree, so strong and brooding.

X watched as two small white birds landed on the windowsill of his room. Slowly X opened the window and the birds hopped over to him, one in each hand. X smiled and looked at the two small birds.

"So, what have you two been up to?" X asked, even though he knew the birds wouldn't answer.

The two birds tweeted back, as if to answer his question, and then they turned toward the outside world. X hung out the window slightly and flung his hands outward, giving the little birds a boost as they flew away together into the soft blanket of snow in the night.

X shut the window and turned around to see Zero standing in the center of the room. He had done it again! Zero had been sneaking around a lot lately, now that his speed had became greatly increased by an upgrade that Dr. Cain had made for him.

"Hey Zero." X said to his red armored friend. X and Zero had been friends since the begging, and, as with all friends, they had their squabbles. In fact they had happened to be in one now.

X had said that Zero couldn't outrun him in a fair, no upgrade reploid against reploid race. So Zero agreed and they raced. Well X lost, and Zero had laughed at him. X knew it was a joke, but then Zero became very angry when one day his Saber went missing. Zero thought that X had taken the Saber. So now Zero was mad at X.

"Humph." Zero grumpily said hello, which came out as a grunt.

"What is it now?" X asked in a tired voice.

"…..I wanted to say that I'm sorry, for yelling at you about the whole Saber thing…"

"Wow Zero said he's sorry!" X yelled out.

"WILL YOU SHUSH!" Zero yelled back, seeing as how X's yell made grunts come from others down the hall.

"Sorry…" X whispered.

"So yeah…I'm sorry X…I was being.."

"A prick?" X asked in a steady calm serious voice.

"….Yeah…" Zero said shyly.

"It's ok…I forgive you…and I'm sorry I've been so mean to you too."

Once the two reploids got done saying there "I'm sorry" they heard a scream come from down the hall. A female scream…

X and Zero burst from the room and ran toward the sound of the scream, and as they did they heard the alarm go off all along the base.

Red signal lights flashed, speakers blared, and all the hunters ran down the halls toward the scream, Megaman X and Zero in the lead.

ALL MAVERICK HUNTERS REPORT TO SECTION A2!

INTRUDER ON SECTION A2!

ALL SYSTEMS WILL INITIATE LOCK DOWN IN 10 SECONDS


	2. CHAPTER 2: You're not alone

A soft blanket of snow coated the city around the Maverick Hunter HQ, many people in the city ran about in the snow enjoying the gifts of winter.

X stood at the large window at the head of the building looking at all the people enjoying the winter. Another hunter walked up to his side and looked out the window as well.

"…What's bothering you?" the hunter asked.

"…Something doesn't feel right…"

"How so?"

"It feels like…something bad is going to happen…something, powerful…."

"You've got a point…it sure has been quiet around here since Alia's attack…did you recognize the maverick that attacked her?"

"…No, I've never seen someone who looked like that before…"

The two hunters looked out upon the city one last time before X glanced at the hunter by him.

"Do you think Alia will be ok?" X asked.

The other hunter shrugged and turned to X.

"I wish I knew…"

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Three mavericks stood before a large ruined lab. Each of the mavericks there had strange, almost pointed heads, two large wings that enveloped them, wings of pure steel, and claw like hands and feet.

One of the mavericks was red, purple, and yellow. The other two where black and purple.

The two mavericks of the same color knelt before the other. The one with the different colors had a large string of medals on his chest, and two large bat-like ears on his head.

"Sir, I am pleased to report that our recon of the Maverick Hunter HQ was a success."

"And I am proud to state that my scouting of the Sky Lagoon was good as well."

"Excellent…" the other figure said slowly.

"What are we to do now sir?" the other two asked in unison.

"…I have no need of you know, but soon I shall. Go, rest, be ready when I call for you."

"As you wish sir."

The two mavericks left the room and the larger leader turned toward a large broken computer screen. With a claw-like hand he pressed a button and a dark figure appeared on the screen, the maverick bowed to him and began to speak.

"All of our recon jobs have been a success."

"Excellent work Nocturne, and what of the girl?"

"Oh the Maverick Hunters? I wouldn't worry about them master, let's just say that they will be quite busy soon…"

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Zero and X sat in Signas's office.

"X, Zero, I have good news. Alia should be waking up soon."

Zero and X both un-tensed a bit, they had both been worried about her. Signas smiled when he saw the two of them relax and continued with his news.

"I also have more news. Axl, as we know had been gone for a while on his own agenda; well he should be back tomorrow."

"Good." Zero said.

"Also I have some not so good news…"

"Yes?" X asked after Signas had paused for quite some time.

"The maverick that attacked Alia, we have lost his signal…I'm sorry but we have no idea who, or where, it, or they, are."

X sighed. Zero fidgeted in the chair slightly.

"You're dismissed." Signas said, afterward X and Zero stood and left the room.

Once outside Zero looked over at his best friend.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Zero asked as the two walked off down the hall.

"…I think I may go and see how Alia is doing." X said after a moment of thought.

"M'k…ARGH!"

"What is it?" X asked after Zero had his little outburst.

"Sometimes I wish that there was at least something we could fight! I hate sitting on my ass doing nothing!"

"How about you wait till Axl gets back and go fight him in the training room."

"Great…more waiting!"

Zero didn't always hate peace, but he had a point. Things had been quiet recently…too quite.

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X walked toward the door to the room where Alia was when he heard a voice.

"You know X can be quite stubborn sometimes, but remember you need to help keep him in line. Hahaha…"

X walked through the already open door and saw Dr. Cain sitting next to Alia talking to her.

"Ah, hello X" Dr. Cain said as he continued to look at Alia.

"Hello Doctor…I thought she was awake when I heard you talking to her…"

"No…I was just hoping that maybe if I talked to her she would wake…"

X grabbed another chair and sat next to Alia on the opposite side as Dr. Cain.

"X…I know you're worried about her." Dr. Cain said, X was about to speak when Dr. Cain continued.

"But I want you to be careful out there X. If someone could drain Alia's energy and hurt her as much as it did you could be next."

"Doctor…"

"And X…"

"Yes?"

"I want you to remember that you're not alone in all this…fighting Mavericks, wanting peace, you're not alone X. Remember that you have friends that will stand by you and be there for you. Alia is one of those friends…"

"…..Thank you…and…I'm going to find who attacked her."

"I know you will…just remember to be careful."

With that Dr. Cain slowly stood from his seat and walked toward the exit.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have more paperwork to attend to."


	3. CHAPTER 3: Attack

X and Zero where sitting in the cafeteria when they heard a door open behind them, turning around they saw Axl.

X and Zero both stood and walked over to Axl.

"Hey Axl, welcome back." Zero said.

"Thanks, I'm glad all that stupid training is over! I still think that Signas is crazy for thinking I could do five weeks of heavy training!"

"Nice to have you back Axl." X said smiling.

Axl opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by an alarm.

Red signal lights flashed all around the rooms as an alarm sounded all about the base.

RED ALERT! ALL MAVERICK HUNTERS REPORT TO COMMAND FLOOR 1! RED ALERT!

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Two reploids in all black stood in the middle of the city streets, and they fired at each reploid and human they saw. On the backs of each maverick was a large tank like pack. Connected to this was a long hose, which blew fire when the mavericks used it.

Fire and gunshots filled the air around the city. Standing nearby the two mavericks was the dark figure that attacked Alia.

X, Zero, and Axl sped up and slammed to a stop on their bikes. Quickly they all jumped off of the bikes and stood close to the mavericks.

The dark figure hissed and became invisible. He stood on top of a large building and watched the Maverick Hunters.

"And so we begin…."

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X, Zero, and Axl all stood near the two Mavericks.

The maverick on the right spoke.

"So, you must be X, Zero, and Axl of the Maverick Hunters…Master has been waiting for you."

"Yes he has, and oh how pleased he will be to see you dead X."

"Of course Zero and Axl would make a good death for Master."

"But of course."

"Alright! Listen up! Who is this Master of yours!?" Axl yelled.

"Hmm…should we speak Gyro?"

"…I don't think we should Kane…"

Apparently the names of these Mavericks where Gyro and Kane, and seeing as how they finished each other's sentences and talk the same way X assumed they where brothers.

"Listen! Either you tell us who your Master is or…" Zero was cut off.

"Or you shall break us into tiny bits…."

"And then break us into dust on the wind?"

Axl stepped forward. "Something like that." Axl said as he grabbed his gun.

Zero extended his Saber, ready to fight. X held up his hand to stop them and approached the two mavericks alone.

"…Was your Master the man who attacked the girl in the Maverick Hunters HQ?" X asked slowly to both mavericks.

The two mavericks looked at one another. Their master stood on the building scowling.

_Don't you dare you fools! Answer him and you will suffer a worse fate than death._

"……..Why would you want to know?"

_DO NOT ANSWER HIM!_

"….Yes…." they both said after a moment of thought.

_YOU IDIOTS! I SHOULD HAVE STUFFED YOU INTO THAT TRASH COMPACTOR YEARS AGO!_

The maverick on the building revealed himself and extended his wings that enveloped him.

With a flick of his wrist a small bolt of lightning struck Axl, sending him flying into a nearby shop window.

"AXL!" Zero yelled as he ran at the two mavericks, which began to fist fight against him.

X drew his buster and fired a round toward the figure on the building. He missed, not because of bad aim, but by the fact that the maverick had disappeared, as if dust on the wind.

X then turned his attention to one of the mavericks coming at him, it was Kane. Kane extended a long blade from his wrist and began to slash at X. X dipped and slid from side to side, negating each blow by mere inches.

Zero on the other hand was doing a very good job of landing blows on the maverick, Gyro. Gyro had a blaster with him, but each shot was blocked by Zero's Saber.

Axl slowly stood and began to fire at the nearest maverick. It was Gyro, as Gyro stumbled backward from the shot Zero sliced him in half with his Saber.

Then everyone turned their attention to Kane, who tripped and fell down.

"STOP!" X yelled as Zero began to bring his Saber down on the maverick.

"WHAT!"

"We take him alive; he can take us to his Master…"

_Clever Megaman X, very clever….but even if you find me you won't beat me…that girl will be the first to die!_

With that last thought the maverick on the building flew away.

_I will find you…And when I do…you're dead! _X thought as he and Zero hauled the Kane up and marched him off toward the HQ.


	4. CHAPTER 4: Determination

As our heroes returned to the Maverick Hunter base, with Kane in tow, Zero and X's coms go off.

"X! ZERO! Good news!" said Signas on the other end.

"What is it?" Zero asked.

"Alia! She's awake!"

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All things in war happen for a reason, just as they do in peace. But sometimes I have asked myself, "Why must we fight a war to create peace?" This question quickly answers itself with many more. "Why are we fighting? What do we fight for? Will we ever know peace?"

These are question that are my own, but I also know a certain Maverick Hunter who thinks the same.

X is constantly coming here and asking me:

"Doctor…why do we fight our fellow reploids, and humans, to make peace? Why can't all things in life accept one another and live happily?"

Never in my life have I never been able to answer a question, but this…this question I can never answer. I don't think I will ever understand the complex things that shoot through X's mind.

X is young…inexperienced…but…each passing moment I fell that he understands the humans and reploids around him more and more. I just pray that he will be able to help in the great goal that is set before us…

Can we humans ever make peace with a reploid?

But I know…deep down, that X will do whatever he can to ensure eternal peace for us all…even if that means dying for that cause….

Memoir of Dr. Cain

Page 46

Chapter 2: A Reploid Who Cares

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X, Zero, and Axl all enter Alia's room.

"Hey Alia." Zero said.

"How are you feeling?" asked Axl.

"…Hi guys, I feel great actually. Thanks."

"We were really worried when we found…we thought you were dead…" Zero said smiling.

"Ah thanks guys, but I'm fine."

Just as everyone was settling in Signas tapped on the door.

"Zero, Axl can I speak with you outside?"

"See ya Alia, I hope you pull through ok." Zero said.

"See ya." Axl said.

And with that the two hunters left, as they left they shut the door, leaving X and Alia alone in the room.

"….Hey…." Alia said.

_X hasn't spoken a word yet…_

"…Alia…I'm glad you're ok…I just wish I could have caught who did this to you."

"X…you don't need to put yourself in danger to help me. I'm fine…"

"…Alia that thing could have killed you! I have to find who it is and bring them the justice they deserve!"

"….X…"

"If someone would go and hurt someone like you, then there are thousands that could be hurt or killed! I can't let others die!"

Alia was taken aback by X's emotions at the moment. He didn't like fighting, she knew that, but she never knew he was this adamant.

"X please…sit down…"

X slowly sat down next to Alia and sighed.

"…Alia, I just want you to know that I will find who did this…no matter what, no matter where I have to go, no matter how long it takes, I'm going to find who attacked you!"

"…X, I know there is no way to change your mind…but if you do go, please be careful."

"I will be…and Alia." X said as he left the room.

"Yes X?"

"…Get better…"

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"Zero, I have a special job for you." Signas said.

"Yes sir?"

"I want you to follow X, I have a feeling that he is going to try and find who attacked Alia, I want you to follow him and try and stop him from doing anything stupid."

"Sir."

"Axl…I would like you to go with another group of hunters and find this Master that the Maverick Kane is talking about."

"Ok."

"Good luck…to both of you, you'll need it."

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Dr. Cain sat in his office looking over a large group of files. The doctor sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Dr. Cain slowly picked up a file on his desk and laid it on a table behind him, as he did a small note fell out.

The doctor bent over and picked up the note.

MEGAMAN X

MODEL 1

PROIRITY ALPHA 1

OBJECTIVE:

EXECUTE EMOTIONAL PROGRAM 132

Dr. Cain smirked and placed the note back inside the file, and then he turned to his computer and entered Emotional Program 132 in the search box.

After about a few minutes his computer brought up a file.

Dr. Cain read over the file and then began to chuckle to himself. Once he finished he pressed a button which printed the file out and he began to read over it again.

As the doctor read the file he heard a tap on his door and he placed the file down on the table.

On the top title of the file was the following:

EMOTIONAL PROGRAM 132

CONTAINS:

PROGRAM 1

PROGRAM 3

PROGRAM L

THESE PROGRAMS ARE NON CRUTUAL BUT ARE THINGS I HAVE INCLUDED IN X TO MAKE HIS LIFE THE WAY IT SHOULD BE…ALTHOUGHT WITH X'S DETERMINATION TO MAKE PEACE I DOUBT THIS PROGRAM WILL EVER BE USED…BUT I HOPE THAT ONE DAY WHEN PEACE DOES FALL OVER THE LAND THAT HE COULD EXECUTE THIS AND LIVE A HAPPY LIFE.

PROGRAM 1 3 L

EMOTION:

LOVE


	5. CHAPTER 5: A Mission of My Own

X stood in his room taking things and placing them into a large pack he had with him.

Inside the pack were his self repair kit, quite a few weapon and energy tanks, as well as a few personal items.

A small book and pen to write with, a group picture of X, Zero, Axl, and Alia, and X's favorite lucky feather he had found one day.

As X buttoned the pack as there was a knock on his door.

"Enter." X said.

Zero slowly walked inside. Immediately Zero saw the pack on the bed and asked.

"Going somewhere?"

"…No, I just thought that I needed to clean up a bit…"

Zero knew that was a lie, X's room sparkled it was so clean.

"….Why are you lying to me X?"

"Because I don't want to pull you down with me!" X bellowed as he continued to pack. Zero frowned and looked at his friend with a hopeful smile.

"…X…I just want you to be careful ok. I know there will be no changing your mind now but….please be careful."

X sighed and turned toward his friend and smirked slightly.

"Zero…I will do whatever it takes to make this planet safe, and I believe that finding Alias attacker will help that goal. And even if you wanted to, you can't stop me!"

"I know X…Just don't do anything stupid."

X smiled at his best friend and then grabbed the pack and left his room. Zero stood in the doorway and watched him go.

_I'll give him a head start then I'm following him…_

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Nocturne sat in a large high backed chair in the ruined lab, one maverick in all black with two blades for hands stood in front of him.

"So, you understand your job?" Nocturne asked the maverick.

"Sir, all I need to do is find Megaman X, and bring him to you."

"Correct Taet, and remember I want X alive!"

"As you wish Master."

With that Taet left the lab and entered a large room filled with hover bikes, he took a black one and sped away to find X.

One of the bat-like mavericks walked up to Nocturne's side.

"…So…do you really think he can bring you X?"

"No."

"Then why did you send him?"

"I want to see just how determined X is at finding me."

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Zero stayed far enough behind X that he couldn't see him, but close enough that he could help him if he needed it.

_X…I know you want to find who did this…but don't do anything stupid…_

Zero knew that once X made up his mind it was hard to change it, and he knew that he would do whatever he could to keep his friends safe. But Zero had never seen X this determined to do something for Alia.

But X always was a lover of peace, he worked hard to gain it, and would die for it. So X would take all the duty of the Mavericks Hunters himself if he had too.

But no matter how many times Zero told him that he was there to help X always wanted to do more himself to make peace come faster.

As Zero thought about this he had a flashback to two years ago.

X and Zero had just begun their Maverick Hunter careers.

"X I told you not to do this!"

"Zero, if we are ever going to stop Sigma and make peace we have to do something!"

"X I know! But you don't have to do it alone! I'm here for you X…you don't have to carry this burden alone."

Sometimes X was so determined for peace he never really thought about anything else. He never tried to have fun, he always tried to do it himself, and he never really listened to instructions.

But X didn't have to work for peace alone, Zero, Axl, Alia, Signas, everyone was there to help, he just had to ask.

Then as Zero sped along on his bike behind X he heard a gunshot, and saw X fall from his bike.

"X!" Zero yelled as he sped up and cycled away to help his friend.


	6. CHAPTER 6: And so the Adventure Begins

Humans are quite complex beings. But I think that Reploids are just as complex, if not more. There are times in my life that I have wondered, "What would have happened if humans never made Reploids?"

Of course I know this answer. Reploids have been great friends, and enemies to us all.

But I hope that one day humans and Reploids could put aside their differences and be a happy community.

However I know that this goal is far off, and it will take much work to accomplish this.

I know that the Maverick Hunters will work hard to ensure the peace, and X will work hard to make peace between the two, human and machine.

Life for me has been filled with triumph and trials, I still don't know if X is a triumph or a trial.

Memoir of Dr. Cain

Page 92

Chapter 4: My Beliefs

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Alia entered the Command Center of the HQ and saw Signas standing in front of a large computer screen. Slowly Alia walked to his side and glanced at the screen, it showed X lying on the ground, a gunshot at his side.

"X!" Alia yelled, unable to control herself.

"Alia, it's nice to see you about again."

"Thank you, what happened to X!?"

"Ah, don't worry. I sent Zero along with X, he should arrive on the scene soon."

"…Is there any way I can help?"

"Are you sure your able enough to work?" Signas asked with a look of concern.

"Yes sir!" Alia said confidently, she wanted to try and help Zero and X.

After a long moment of silence Signas sighed.

"Very well, get to your desk. I want you to set up a link to Zero and X."

"Sir yes sir!" Alia said in a happy voice.

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Axl and his group stood in a large interrogation room; sitting in the chair across from Axl was Kane.

"So, X is looking for Master?" Kane asked.

"Yes…now…who is this master of yours?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Axl leaned across the table and pointed his gun at the mavericks head.

"Because, if you ever want to be able to see the light of day you WILL TELL ME, or I will blow your circuits out!"

Silence filled the room as the maverick actually began to look scared of Axl.

Axl wanted to prove his point so he took the gun and pulled back the trigger, on more click and he would fire.

"WAIT!" Kane yelled.

"Yes?" Axl asked in a tone that was filled with mock curiosity.

"…..Nocturne…his name is Nocturne…."

"There that wasn't so hard. Now maybe you could help me with something else…….."

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"X!" Zero yelled as he knelt down to his friend.

"Zero?" X asked as he saw his red clad friend nearby. "What are you doing here?"

"I here to save your ass, now who shot you?"

"ME!" yelled a reploid in all yellow, his buster still smoldering from the shot.

Zero drew his Saber and ran at the maverick, which dodged the slice from Zero and kicked him in the back. Zero ran at the maverick again, who fired at Zero. Zero used his Saber to block the shots and sliced at the maverick, landing two powerful blows on the mavericks' buster-arm.

"ZERO LOOK OUT!"

Zero tried to dive to the side, thanks to X's help. But it was too late, another maverick appeared, by hover bike, and shot Zero in the back.

Zero fell onto the ground, smoke billowing from the gunshot wound on his back.

"YOU BASTARD!" X yelled as he ran at the new maverick, firing wildly.

Each shot was dodged by the maverick who then began to circle X on his bike and fire at him. X jumped up in the air and landed on the mavericks bike.

"What the!" the maverick exclaimed as X shot front section of the bike, making the maverick swerve. X then noticed that the bike was passing by Zero, X reached down and grabbed Zero's Saber, and with one quick motion decapitated the maverick and took control of the bike.

"Ah shit!" the other maverick yelled as X slammed the bike into him.

The bike, and the maverick, both moved forward and slammed into a boulder nearby, which caused the bike to explode killing the maverick.

"Now leave me the hell alone!" X yelled at the area where the maverick died. X then ran over to Zero's body.

"ZERO!"

Zero slowly pushed himself up off the ground.

"Don't worry X…I'm fine. Ugh!"

Then just as X was going to speak his com and Zero's began to screech with activity. "X!ZERO! COME IN! IT'S ALIA!"

"ALIA! It's great to hear your voice!" Zero said

"Why thank you Zero, but you too need to be more careful! It seems that you have become quite popular, I see over twenty maverick signals, all heading your way!"

"Great…." X said sarcastically

"Oh and X….thank you…."

"For?"

"…Doing all this, trying to find the man who attacked me. OH! Speaking of which Axl has a lead! He said that this maverick you're looking for is named Nocturne, and he has four mavericks that work for him. One's in a desert ruin, another is in a deep forest, another in a nearby ocean, and the final ones in a volcano. Each of these mavericks apparently holds a vendetta against the Maverick Hunters. According to our little friend Kane, this Nocturne has sealed himself inside his lab, and the only way in is by getting the four keys that each maverick has."

"Ok, so where should we start?" X asked.

"The closet area is the Desert Ruin."

"Alright, thanks Alia!"

"Oh and guys?"

"Yeah?" X and Zero asked in unison.

"…..Be careful…"

"We will be Alia." X said.

With their new instructions X and Zero got back on their bikes and rode away toward the ruin that Alia told them about.

And so our adventure begins….


	7. CHAPTER 7: X! ZERO!

Axl sat across from Kane still inside the interrogation room. Behind Axl stood a small group of maverick hunters just in case that Kane attacked.

Axl sat leaned back in his chair with his feet propped on the table. He held his gun in his hand and began to flip it between his hands taunting Kane. Kane fidgeted in his chair, he didn't trust Axl on bit, he knew that Axl would kill him if he could.

"So?" Axl asked in a dark voice, "Are you going to tell me exactly what this Nocturne wants? Or shall I shoot you now?"

Axl slowly took the gun and pointed it back at Kane.

"…All Nocturne told me was that we were supposed to attack X and Zero. He said that once the girl died that X would look for her killer and we would kill him!"

"Well she didn't die! And now we have you captured! So, what are you going to do now?"

"She didn't die did she? Hmhmhm…"

"What's so funny?" Axle asked as he pushed the gun closer to Kane.

"You actually think that all that master did was drain her energy?"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ALIA YOU BASTARD!" Axle yelled as he picked up Kane and pushed him into the wall, the gun still pointed at his head.

"Soon she will die, thanks to the poison in her system. I guess you'd better say your final goodbyes, I'd say she has about 24hours left…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

X and Zero parked their bikes outside of a large desert ruin and looked at the location on their headsets that Alia had sent them.

"According to Alia's coordinates we're in the right place." Zero said as he looked over at X.

"So this is where the first maverick is…"

X and Zero armed themselves and walked inside the ruin. All around them sand and stone fell; the ruin seemed to still be falling apart. Each stone that fell toward Zero was broken in half by Zero's Saber, and each one that fell toward X was blasted into bits.

The two hunters continued on into the deep ruin until they reached a large round room. As X and Zeroo stood in the center of this room X began to have a suspicious look on his face.

"Zero?"

"I know…I feel it too."

Just as the two hunters readied themselves three mavericks came into view. Two of these mavericks had large guns on their backs, they where almost the same as Vile was all those years ago, however the maverick in the center had two large blades for arms.

"Megaman X!" the maverick with sword arms yelled, "I am Taet! One of the best mercenaries' in this part of the planet! And you have been placed on my death list!"

X slowly looked at Taet, somehow this maverick was familiar to him.

"Yeah right! You can't beat us by yourselves! Remember, X and I are some of the best maverick hunters in the world! You can't stop us!" Zero taunted, know that it would distract Taet.

"BAH! Kill them!"

With his orders issued the two gun mavericks attacked with large machine guns toward Zero, trying to separate him from X.

X ran at Taet firing blasts of enormous energy at him, as well as built up anger. X wanted to make peace with humans and reploids more than anything else in the world, and this maverick wouldn't listen to reason.

Taet used his arms to bounce away some of the gunfire, and as he ran at X he quickly cut each stone pillar he saw. Breaking these pillars caused parts of the ceiling to collapse upon the maverick hunters.

Zero jumped from stone to stone around the room, and quickly destroyed the two maverick gunners with his Saber, but just as he was about to help X he was shot at again by five more maverick gunners.

"So, you want to fight do you?" Zero asked as he ran into the group of gunners.

"Who do you work for!?" X bellowed to Taet as he dodged the slices he was making.

"I work for the Master! And when you two are dead, he will pay me more money than you could ever imagine!"

"YOU'R DOING THIS FOR MONEY! YOU BASTARD!" X yelled as he kicked Taet hard in the chest sending him flying into the nearest pillar. Taet hit the pillar hard and fell onto the floor on his knees.

"…You would dare give your life…kill others…for money!? YOU SCUM!" X kicked Taet again, making Taet yell in pain.

"….Call me what you will Megaman X….I know what you are…."

"What are you talking about!?" X bellowed.

Taet remained silent, so X gripped him by his neck and yanked him up into the air. Taet chocked and tried to wiggle his feet to the ground.

Zero turned around and saw this in amazement.

_Wow…I've never seen X this violent, not since Sigma…._

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME!" X bellowed as he began to tighten his grip on Taet.

"………You…you think that your so….so strong X….but I know….I know just how weak you really are….your care for…those useless flesh bags, humans…will be your death…"

X, filled with uncontrollable rage threw Taet into a pillar across the room, with so much force that it shattered the pillar and sent Taet through it.

"I care about the humans, and reploids! This is what keeps me going! This is what makes me strong! And you! You who kill people for money, fame, power, YOU ARE SCUM!"

_Damn…X really seems pissed…_ Zero thought as he stood nearby watching the scene.

"…Well…it won't matter what you think about me…because soon…you're gonna die…"

"That threat won't scare us!" Zero said.

"It's not a threat….you didn't think you could leave here did you? The desert is filled with Master Nocturns troops, and there are about six different bombs in this very room!"

"WHAT!?"

And with that the guards outside all fell to the ground as a massive explosion engulfed the entire ruin.

And X and Zero where still inside as the ruin filled with flame, death, smoke, brick, sand, and pain.

Even in the city miles away people could see the smoke billowing from the now broken ruin.

Alia sat in her chair at her desk, she was still connected to X and Zero's coms.

"X! ZERO! COMMANDER X! COMMANDER ZERO! PLEASE RESPOND!" Alia yelled into her headset.

Signas and all the other hunters on the command deck, as well as the other operators all looked toward Alia in worry.

"X! ZERO PLEASE RESPOND!" Alia yelled again, this time her voice breaking with each word.

"…X….Zero….please…please respond….please…"

Signas and the others all bowed their heads, then Signas ordered for Axl and his group to go and find where X and Zero fell. The entire time the command deck and all of the HQ filled with activity Alia remained in her chair and began to sob loudly and strongly.

"Zero………please….."

A soft gentle billow of snow began to fall on the city outside, the entire air seemed to be filled with peace and tension.

"X…please respond…X…please……..please….MEGAMAN X YOU RESPOND RIGHT NOW!" Alia screamed as she finally lost it. Huge powerful tears fell from her eyes and onto her cheeks and the desk. Signas walked to Alia and placed his hand on her shoulder and sighed.

"Megaman X……..please…come back….please…….come home…."


	8. CHAPTER 8: Break

Alia was still worrying about X and Zero later that night. Alia knew that X and Zero where strong…but she still worried about them. Alia couldn't rest well so she walked around the base, all the time she had memories of X and Zero running through her head.

X and Zero had always been friends, and X and Alia where good friends too. But as Alia walked about the base she tried to not think about her hurt or dead friends. Each time she tried to think of something else she suddenly was flooded with memories of X.

_X….you have to come back…_

Just as Alia was passing into the command bridge she heard someone talking to her.

"You really shouldn't worry about X and Zero." The voice said.

Alia jumped and noticed that it was Dr. Cain, he was sitting in his office and never looked up, but seemed to know that Alia was there when he spoke.

"Dr. Cain…do you really think they'll be ok?" Alia asked as she entered his office.

"Alia, if there's anything I know about X it's that he is one strong reploid. I doubt that even that explosion could stop him."

"…Thank you Doctor."

"Hmhmhm…any time Alia. Just remember this…"

"Yes?"

"X wants to make this world peaceful and perfect. He cannot do it alone. No matter what happens, you need to be there with him and help him."

"…Thank you Dr. Cain."

"And Alia!" Dr. Cain yelled as Alia began to walk away from the room.

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"

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Light flooded X's eyes as he opened them.

_Ow! I hurt like hell!_ X thought as pain flooded into his system.

_Where am I? _

"Good he's awake." Said a deep voice.

"Excellent, I'll be waiting in my quarters."

"As you wish Master Nocturne."

_Nocturne! Shit! I'm at his base! Wait! Where's Zero!?_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Axl and his group of hunters all skidded to a stop of their bikes outside the repackage of the desert ruin. As everyone got off their bikes and walked toward the ruins Axl stopped. One hunter turned and looked at Axl.

"Sir, is everything ok?"

"….Damn…X, Zero…."

Axl couldn't believe the damage that those bombs had made, and the fact that X and Zero where inside it.

"Sir?" the hunter asked a second time, breaking Axl's concentration.

"What? Oh, I'm fine captain…."

"…Are you sure sir, you look a little pale."

"I'm fine. And don't call me sir, I'm not an old fart like Signas."

The hunter snickered at that comment, and at the fact that Signas was listening by the communicator in Axl's own helmet.

Back inside the command center Signas snickered at Axl's comment before speaking.

"So, have you found anything yet, young jackass?" Signas asked with a grumpy tone to his voice.

"…No sir...not yet…" Axl said as he was now back in the same trance as before.

Suddenly there was a cry from a hunter inside the ruin.

"CAPTAIN! COMMANDER! WE FOUND A BODY! I THINK IT'S COMMANDER ZERO!"

Axl and the captain rushed over to the hunter that said he found the body. As Axl arrived at the scene he nearly broke down. Zero lay on the ground, his head in one place, his torso in another.

"Ah, son of a…"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alia came running into the command center, Signas had called for her a moment before.

"Signas! Did…they…find…X…" Alia asked out of breath from running from the courtyard, up twelve flights of stairs, and down six hallways and into the command center.

"No…but they found Zero…in pieces…"

"Can he be repaired?" Alia asked filled with hope.

"…Maybe, but it will take time."

"…We've got plenty of that Signas." Dr. Cain said as he walked into the room.

"Dr. Cain! They found Zero!" Alia said.

"Hmhmhm, calm down my dear, don't over work yourself. Zero is quite capable, and I know he will pull through quickly, now…X?"

"…Sorry doctor, we can't seem to find X's remains…um, body…anywhere." Said the captain over his com.

"…X…"


	9. CHAPTER 9: Hurricane Falcon?

X tried to move his arms, but found that he was restrained. Two reploids stood over him with large repair utensils in their hands. At the end of the room stood a tall dark figure…the same figure that attacked Alia!

"YOU!" X cried as he tried to pull himself up from the table, but the restraints held him back.

"Yes, me. Now Megaman X, let's see exactly what makes you so powerful."

"WHAT!"

"Doctor Dega, if you would please shut our little hunter friend down and commence the…autopsy."

"WHAT! YOU SON OF A….." and X slowly powered down as he was speaking, which resulted in the quite profane insult being cut off.

"…My, my, quite a vocabulary you have my boy. Dr. Dega, you may begin."

"As you wish Master Nocturne."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took about three days, but Zero was able to be repaired. The entire time Alia sat waiting for him to wake, but her thoughts still rested on X.

_X…where are you?_

The gentle snow that had once blown across the city had now stopped, tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and X was still out there…alone…half dead…Alia broke down and cried for her friend but stopped when she heard Dr. Cain enter the room.

"Dr. Cain, if you came to see Zero he's still asleep."

"Actually Alia, I came to check on you. I know that you're taking X's disappearance hard."

"Doctor…"

"Alia, why do you worry about X so much?" Dr. Cain asked with a fatherly look as he sat in a chair nearby.

"…I don't know, it's just that…"

"I know that you're friends with him…or, are you more?" Dr. Cain asked as he again had the same fatherly tone and look, which he almost always used when he wanted to know something.

Dr. Cain was the founder of the Maverick Hunters, and was like a father to every member, none more so than X. He acted as a guide and elder to both X and Zero. So of course Dr. Cain knew everything that happened in the Maverick Hunter HQ.

Alia blushed as she looked away from the doctor.

"N-no…we're just friends." Alia said blushing again.

"Ah…." Dr. Cain said, knowing that there was something that Alia wasn't telling him.

"….Well…we're just friends, but if he would let me, I think we might be something more…but, you know how X is, he's so…"

"Secluded. All he wants is to keep people safe, so if you two tried to be together he would object to it, saying it was to dangerous."

"Yeah…"

Dr. Cain chuckled to himself and looked at Alia directly in the eyes as he spoke.

"Do you love him?"

There was a long pause, meant for Alia to think. The silence continued for a long time, until Alia opened her mouth, and the response surprised Dr. Cain.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Axl stood in the hallway outside of the room that Zero was in, quickly he rushed inside, just as Alia had answerd Dr. Cain.

"ALIA!" Axl yelled, cutting Alia off before she answered the doctor.

"Axl! Why are you yelling?"

"Alia…Kane said that you've been poisoned! We need to check and make sure!"

"Poisoned!" Alia exclaimed

"Oh my…Sareh!" yelled down the hall, making a girl with long light-purple hair wearing a doctor's robe appear.

"Sareh, I want you to get Alia checked for any sort of poison or virus right away!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Light flooded X's vision as he slowly and painfully opened his eyes. He was still restrained to the table in the big dark room, however this time the dark figure stood next to him, with four other mavericks.

"Y-YOU! What did you do to me!?" X screamed at the dark figure, who stood far enough into the shadows not to be seen.

"…I am Valdu Corituis Nocturne, leader of the Seven Shadows. The mavericks you see here, in clockwise order from me, are some that you know. I'm sure you remember Storm Eagle?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Hmhmhm well I have done some…upgrading to him. Meet Hurricane Falcon."

Hurricane Falcon, or Storm Eagle, walked up to X. Instead of the purple that his armor was it was now a midnight black. His head was elongated and had two purple stripes down it. His eyes glowed a deep red, and his talons looked even sharper than before.

"How? How did you do this?" X asked.

"Simple, I took the old parts from Storm Eagle and added pieces from other mavericks you fought. I believe you remember Vile, and Wheel Gator? There pieces are in some of these Mavericks as well as pieces from Web Spider, and Overdrive Ostrich. All the mavericks you have fought are here before you, in the pieces of these four mavericks."

"And these four mavericks in this room are?"

"Why, there're your old friends X. Storm Eagle, Bubble Crab, Neon Tiger, Storm Owl, these are them. Only now they're different, stronger, faster, smarter. Hurricane Falcon, Aqua Crustacean, Flash Beast, and Shadow Nightshade. These mavericks are just some of your old friends, the others, the ones that your friends will have to fight to save you. They're even stronger!"

"WHAT!"

"Well if you expect to be free from here Zero and Axl will have to save you, yes?"

"So what mavericks will they fight?"

"Squid Adler, Blizzard Wolfang, Flame Hyenard, and Avalanche Yeti. Who are now, Water Shoktor, Degree Fangard, Magma Hyena, and Rockslide Keeper. And trust me they are much stronger now!"

"...You are mad!" X bellowed as he tried to pull himself from the table.

"Call me what you will, soon Zero and Axl will join you, and that girl…Alia, was it she will die soon as well."

"WHAT! YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU HURT HER!"

_Mmmmm…he seems quite protective of her…killing her will be fun…_

"Well, X, if you shall excuse me I have some business to attend to. Good day."

"IF YOU HURT ALIA I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Dually noted." Nocturne said as he walked out of the room.


	10. CHAPTER 10: Mission 1: Save X!

"AXL! COME IN AXL!" screamed a voice.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT!?" Axl yelled at the voice on the other end.

"Not to be angry with you, but, I AM YOUR BOSS! SPEAK TO ME WITH RESPECT!" Signas yelled back into the headset, causing heads to turn toward him on the command deck.

Signas had sent Axl out to see if he could find any sign of X, but still they had no luck.

"Look, when I find X I will tell you, UNTIL THEN LEAVE ME ALONE!" Axl yelled as he turned the com off on his end.

"YOU LITTLE….."

Axl had become quite, irritable, since Zero and X where in the bombing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero was up and running and wanted to join Axl in the field, but Dr. Cain refused.

"But Dr. Cain I need to help find X!"

"NO! You're still recovering Zero! You need you rest!"

"Doctor, I need to find X!"

"….Zero…I know that you want to help your friend, but I am not sure that going out and getting yourself killed is going to help save X! Now go rest! Or I will have you restrained!"

Zero sighed and laid back into his bed. Dr. Cain left the room, looking tired, and Alia stood as well.

"Alia…your worried about X aren't you?"

"……..Yes…" Alia said as she walked out of the room.

_What's with her? She doesn't like X does she?_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

X was hauled up off the table by Hurricane Falcon and throw into a cell. The cell was barren, aside from a bed at the north wall and a small cloth rug on the floor.

_Where am I? _X thought as he lay down on the bed, he tried to fire his buster, but when he did he felt a strong shock run through his body.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?" X yelled.

"Don't worry; your friends will join you soon."

"When they get here you'll be the first to die!"

Little did X know, there was no one coming to save him…yet…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alia was lying in a bed in the infirmary; Zero was in his own room as well. Luckily the bug in alia that was causing the poison had been removed without any problems, but Zero wasn't going so well. Of course Zero was now repaired, but he still wasn't fully functional.

The only bad thing about Zero being repaired was the fact that his Saber was gone. Everyone searched the ruins but the Saber was gone. And so Zero lay in his room staring out the window looking into the dark cloudy night wanting to get up, but Dr Cain didn't want Zero to overwork himself so he had him locked into his room and guards where posted outside.

_X…I need to go find X…_ Zero thought as he got up from the bed.

Zero walked toward the door, but then had a better idea. Zero quickly walked over to the table and took the red tablecloth. He then tied the cloth to the window and opened it all the way. Then he yelled:

"HELP I'M FALLING OUT THE WINDOW!" as loud as he could, making the guards rush inside.

As the two guards ran to the window, Zero, who was hiding inside the closet near the window, got out and ran out the open door and down the hall.

_I'm coming X…_

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Dr. Cain, Zero has escaped his guard!" one of the hunters yelled into Dr. Cain's office.

"…Hmhmhm…That crafty little bastard…"

"Shall we pursue him doctor?"

"…No…no let him go, but I want a team to follow him. Do not capture, but instead help him."

"Why sir?"

"Because, he's going to find X."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Zero ran into the hanger area where they kept the hover bikes, as he ran inside he saw that Axl and his group had just returned. Zero stopped Axl and hopped on his own bike.

"Zero! Where are you going!?" Axl yelled.

"I'm going to the ruin to see if I can find a clue to see where X is!"

"WAIT!" Axl yelled as Zero drove off. "…But, I know where to find him….Captain!"

"yes sir!?"

"I want you to follow Zero and get his ass back here ASAP!"

"SIR!"

And with that the Captain and Axl's group sped away after Zero. And Axl sat back and watched as they left.

"So…sending them to help Zero are you?" Dr. Cain asked as he walked into the room.

"Yep…they'd do a better job than I would, and besides Signas has another job for me."

"….Actually, I have a job for you to do."

"Really?"

"Yep, and this one oversees Signas's, so do you want to do my job or his?"

"Yours of course!"

"Good, I want you to go to the Mech Room and suit up, I need you to go to Base Oceania and find this Water Shoktor that Kane is talking about and see if he knows where X is being held."

"Yes sir!"

And with that Axl set off on his own mission, but everyone's missions would soon cross for the same result, saving and reuniting X with the rest of the Maverick Hunters, and stopping Nocturne.


	11. CHAPTER 11: Detour

X was sitting in his cell board as he could be when the doors opened and Nocturne was standing there.

"Hello again Megaman X."

"Hello again you psychotic bastard."

As he said this insult Nocturne pressed a button on a remote and a sharp powerful electric shock was sent through X's system, causing him to cry in pain. As X cried out Nocturne simply chuckled to himself and walked away, or more or less floated, as he phased right through the walls.

Two mavericks grabbed X and hauled him to his feet and dragged him off toward a large computer room. Taking X and throwing him into the chair, the two mavericks walked away as the doors locked X inside.

X looked around the room and saw that it looked a lot like the command center of the Maverick Hunter HQ. There where computers, and small systems for the operators to use, and in the center of the room was the large map system.

Nocturne slowly phased trough the wall and began to speak to X.

"Now listen up X, I want you to tell me exactly what I want to know."

"And that would be?"

"….What makes you so special that you're immune to the Sigma Virus?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero continued to speed off toward the ruin when two hunters on bikes cut him off. Zero quickly skidded to a stop, causing his bike to skid sideways.

"Get out of my way!" Zero yelled to them.

"Wait! Do you even know where X is?"

Zero mentally hit himself, he didn't even know where X was, and yet there he was speeding away, it what could be the wrong way.

"…NO! But I'm going to find him!"

"We know where he is!"

Zero nearly jumped onto the other hunter and killed him. "YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!"

"We just found out!"

"Well? Where is he?"

"X is being held at the Airport!"

With the location given Zero sped away. Shortly after he sped away two hunters stopped the two that had stopped Zero, all the hunters looked alike.

"STOP!" one of the hunters yelled as the other shot him.

"Damn! We've been found!" one of the hunters said as he changed from a hunter into an all black maverick, as did his friend.

"Oh well, Zero's on his way to the trap so it won't matter."

"Master Nocturne will pay us well."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Axl, who was piloting the large mech, slowly moved through the water filled base named Oceana. This place had once been a Maverick Hunter base, until all the hunters turned maverick. The only way to stop the mavericks from destroying everything was to bomb the entire HQ, and that order was issued by Signas and .

X had a hard time accepting the bomb idea. He worked as hard as he could to try and convince that there was another way, but he failed. After that X blamed himself for the death of all the reploids inside the base.

As Axl moved through the water filled base he saw sights that he remembered from when he, X, and Zero came to Oceana for a Maverick Hunter meeting.

FLASHBACK

The base Oceana was filled with hundreds of Maverick Hunters, recruits and agents alike. And everyone was waiting for the meeting to begin.

It was only the fifth meeting held at base Oceana, but it had become a hotspot for all maverick hunters. As everyone sat, stood, and waited for the meeting to start X and Zero where talking about the latest maverick attacks.

As they talked about it, Axl stood and walked toward the window. That was when he became the hero of the meeting, a large group of mecanaloids gone maverick where on their way, all of them where fish, to attack.

"MAVERICKS!" Axl shouted as he pointed outside, just as he spoke the siren blared of an attack outside.

Axl, X, and Zero all fought alongside the other hunters against the group of mavericks, which soon turned into an all out war in the base as almost half of the hunters went maverick. Someone had released the Sigma Virus in the base, Axl, Zero, and X all escaped. But there was one snag in the escape, Nocturne was there.

Only he wasn't Nocturne, not yet. He was a hunter named Vladu, he was a rookie hunter, but, as said by Dr. Cain, he held great potential. And, of course, Vladu was the one who released the virus in the base, which made him turn into Nocturne, a half reploid half bat maverick.

Vladu always wore a gold medallion with a red bat on it, which made sense why he chose to become a bat when he went maverick.

END FLASHBACK

Axl continued to move through the base and saw that large ruined meeting room from back then. Just as Axl walked past the table in the meeting room he saw a large tentacle move his way. Axl used the arms of the mech to grip the tentacle and pulled, as he did he found the maverick he was searching for.

And so the fight began…a fight to the death, for a key to save X's life.


	12. CHAPTER 12: Axl VS Shoktor

Axl fell through the floor as it began to explode. Now he stood on the thick earth beneath the sea, and swimming toward him was the maverick he was trying to kill, Water Shoktor.

Water Shoktor was a large white and gold squid, he had ten tentacles. And on these tentacles, two by two, where different weapons. Two regular, two blades, two laser guns, two thorns, and two large wind turbine.

"You are Axl? Maverick Hunter, and recent commander of the 21# Unit?"

"Yes! And you must be the maverick whose ass I will be kicking today."

"Hmhmhm, argent and cocky aren't you. Well if your looking for this," The maverick said as he produced a key from within the mass of tentacles, "You will have to fight me for it!"

"Ok, your move you overgrown octopus!"

Shoktor pierced forward the two blade tipped tentacles. Axl used the arms of the mech to grab the tentacles, once he had a grip on them he pulled hard. Shoktor was jerked forward nearby Axl, and quickly Axl rushed forward and punched Shoktor.

Shoktor backed away and sent all his tentacles at Axl.

Axl couldn't block them all and half the tentacles hit the glass dome sealing Axl in from the water.

_Dammit! If he breaks this dome I'm done for!_

"HAAAHAAA! Not so strong now that I found your weakness are you, Axl?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

X was still in the computer room of the Seven Shadow Base, which from now on will be called the SS.

"X…I have just received word that your friend Axl is being killed as we speak."

"WHAT! You BASTARD!" X yelled as he tried to jump at Nocturne. But X was still restrained and fell back into the chair, and another painful shock ran through him.

"I can make his death long and painful, or short and painless. It all depends on whether or not you agree to tell me what I want to know!"

X remained silent for a short time.

"You know what?"

"What is that?"

X started to laugh. "You really think I'll fall for that piece of shit lie! Axl is going to kick your ass! And Zero's going to be here soon anyway!"

"Hmhmhm…clever X…very clever…but, until you tell me what I want to know I'm afraid that more people you care about will die. I think I'll go after Dr. Cain next!"

"NO!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Signas burst into Dr. Cain office. Dr. Cain stood at the computer screen watching as a red, black, and small yellow dot moved.

As Signas slammed the door open he startled Dr. Cain, who through his cane sideways as he jumped and the cane hit another scientist Reploid in the head.

"HEY!"

"Sorry!"

"DR. CAIN!"

All the words mixed together in one word, which sounded like this.

"HE SO CAN YRN"

Dr. Cain, the scientist and Signas all laughed as they heard what it sounded like, but Signas quickly stopped laughing.

"Dr. Cain! What have you done with Axl!"

"Axl? I sent him to go find one of the keys to save X. Why?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because the last time I checked I was the one who founded this agency, and last time I check I signed your paycheck!"

Signas went silent. Dr. Cain had a good point, and he liked his job so he would shut up.

"Doctor…I'm sorry."

"I know, the stress is getting to us all. I haven't slept since the day Alia was attacked."

"Me either…I just wanted to know why Axl wasn't responding to his com."

"Well that is probably because he is about five miles under the ocean fighting Water Shoktor."

"Well then, where is Zero?"

"He ran off. I think he's trying to find X on his own."

"Damn…"

"This screen here shows where Axl, black, Zero, red, and another group of hunters, yellow, are. I;m monitoring the teams status from here and…oh shit!"

Dr. Cain NEVER cursed, and when he did there was good reason.

"What is it?" Signas asked as he walked to the large screen.

"…Zero…he's being attacked."

"So?"

"Look here, do you see all these purple dots?"

"Yes."

"These symbolize one hundred mavericks."

Around the red dot where seven purple dots, seven hundred mavericks.

"Well, Zero will be fine."

"No he won't…"

"What do you mean?"

"….He doesn't have any weapons."

"WHAT!"

"When he was crushed in the bomb, I tried to fix his buster and Saber…but…I didn't have enough time to get them online. He ran off before I could fix his weapons."

"Oh shit…." Signas repeated.

All the scientist turned and sighed as they watched the screen.

In the doorway Alia stood listening.

_Zero…no…_


	13. CHAPTER 13: ALIA! NO!

Zero slowly skidded to a stop on his bike and saw that he was at the old airport. Years ago this airport was where Storm Eagle had taken control. X and Zero had defeated Storm Eagle, and all the other mavericks. But if X was being held here by Nocturne, Zero knew where he would be.

Zero quickly ran toward the hanger of the port, as he ran through he saw nothing. No mavericks, no guards, not even a small animal.

_Something's not right…_

Zero continued to run toward the large hanger, but found that the door was locked. And so Zero jumped up and wall-jumped up the wall and landed on top of the hanger. He ran toward a large glass dome that let in light and jumped through it.

Zero quickly slid along the wall and landed on the ground of the hanger. There was a large loud roar of jet engines. A jet was taking off, and a big one too.

Zero ran toward another smaller pilot plane and took off as fast as he could, to pursue the jet.

That was when it got dangerous.

Fifty other jets all surrounded Zero, one second they weren't there, and the next they were.

"SHIT!" Zero exclaimed as the jets began to fire at him.

Quickly Zero did some "Evasive maneuvers" that he had learned from Storm Eagle, before he went maverick.

As Zero spun his plane to the right, the others spun to the left. Zero accelerated and tried to catch up to the large jet. As he sped up so did the other jets.

Zero looked around the dash and found two small buttons. "FIRE FRONT" "FIRE BACK"

There was a gun in the front and back!

Zero quickly pressed the fire button; the turret on the back of the plane locked onto one of the other jets and shot it down.

Again and again Zero fired at them, as they fired at him. But just as he had shot down about half of the jets even more surrounded him.

_I can't fight all of them alone…._

Zero tried to break away from the others, but had no luck. Then Zero suddenly jerked forward in the seat. He had been shot, and was beginning to crash!

Just as Zero was about to press the eject button two jets with the Maverick Hunter symbol screeched by and shot down a large number of the jets.

Then there was a voice over the radio.

"Zero!"

Zero recognized the voice, it was a girls voice. One he knew all to well.

"ALIA! What the hell are you doing!?"

"I believe she's saving your ass Zero." Said another voice.

Two faces appeared on the screen inside Zero's jet.

"AXL! You little bastard! You sure did take your own sweet time getting here!"

"Sorry, I had a little bit of work to take care of."

Axl had a large bruise on his eye, and he looked like he had just gotten out of the shower. He was covered in water.

About twenty more jets screeched by, each bearing the Maverick Hunter symbol.

"I thought you could use some help." Said a new voice over the radio.

"Dr. Cain!"

Dr. Cain stood in the command center of the HQ, he was wearing an operators headset. Signas was standing next to him watching the map.

"Don't worry my' boy, we have at least one hundred jets out there for you!"

"Wow! Am I that special?"

"Yes, and no." Signas said as he stole Dr. Cain's headset.

"What do you mean?"

"Yes your important, but where not there only to save you. That carrier jet in front of you has about twenty tons of C4 explosives!"

"SHIT!" Zero said as he stopped shooting at the ship.

"Indeed." Dr. Cain said as he took the headset back.

"So what am I suppose to do?"

"Sneak aboard that ship Zero, it's going to the base where X is!" Signas said as he stole the headset back.

Dr. Cain gave Signas a dirty look and returned to his office.

"Don't worry Zero! You focus on that carrier, we'll worry about the jets!" Alia said.

_I never knew that Alia could fly…._

"Just try and not get your ass whooped, ok?" Axl said.

"You guys just be careful!"

And with that Zero sped up one last time as he headed for the large carrier jet in front of him.

Alia and Axl's jets flew in large loops shooting everything they saw. Two large groups of maverick jets, in large V's, came screeching toward them.

"ALIA! TEN O' CLOCK!" Axl yelled.

Alia quickly maneuvered, barely missing the two jets that flew her way.

Axl spun around and fired at the jets, shooting them down and making them hit two more jets.

"YES! Four with two shots!"

"Don't get to worked up Axl, there's still plenty of ships out here!"

Suddenly a large, fast, black jet barrled toward Alia and slammed into her jet, destroying her right wing.

"AHH!"

"ALIA!" Axl screamed as he saw the large black jet fly into her wing.

"So sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to stop." Said a new voice as Hurricane Falcon appeared on the screen.

"ALIA! SAY SOMETHING!"

"…..I'm fine….But I'm going to have land, fast!"

"Ahahah! You can't leave yet. The party just started!" said Falcon as he suddenly barreled toward Alia again.

"ALIA!" Zero yelled. He had heard the entire conversation over the radio of turned around to help.

"ZERO! GO BACK TO THE CARRIER!" Signas yelled over the com.

"But what about Alia?"

"She'll be fine! Just stop that carrier!"

Zero continued to fly toward Alia.

"Signas, I'm sorry! But I'm not going to let Alia die here!"

"YOU LITTLE!" Signas was cut off as Zero turned off his com, and his radio went into static.

"Signas!" Dr. Cain yelled as he re-entered the room, this time with a large handful of files.

"What?!" Signas grumbled.

"I was studying the files on this carrier that Zero's chasing."

"Yes?"

"I think it might be trying to bomb the city!"

"SHIT! ZERO! ZERO! PICK UP!"

But there was silence on the radio.

"AXL! I want you to radio Zero! That carrier is going to bomb the city!"

"ROGER!"

Alia continued to slowly fly, trying to get away from Flacon.

Falcon was just about to slam into Alia's jet when Zero suddenly shot from the clouds and blasted off the right wing of Falcon's jet.

"ARRRRGGHH! YOU LITTLE!"

Falcon flew away from Alia and barreled toward Zero.

Zero fired off a few rounds at Falcon, each one hit and Falcon slowly began to fall away.

Axl turned toward Falcon and radioed Zero.

"You'd better go stop the bomber! I'll take care of Falcon."

Zero flew off toward the bomber, carrier.

Axl shot toward Falcon when suddenly the ship exploaded and a smaller, faster ship shot out.

"Now the fun begins!" Falcon said.

This was it, the final fight with Falcon. And it would be started with death….

Falcon, as fast as he could, shot toward Alia and clipped off her left wing.

Alia screamed and began to barrel toward the ground in a crash course.

"ALIA! Axl screamed. "PRESS EJECT!"

"IT'S JAMMED!"

"ALIA!" Zero yelled

"ALIA!" Dr. Cain yelled.

"ALIA!" Signas yelled.

"Rest in peace, Madame Alia." Said Falcon as he watched.

Everyone watched in horror as Alia was about to slam into the ground and burst into flames.

"Axl…Zero…I want you to do something for me…." Alia said as she neared the ground.

"Tell X…….."

Faster and faster she neared the ground.

"Tell X…that I love him…."

And with that there was a burst of flame.

Fire.

Death.

Sorrow.

Pain.

Shock.

Dr. Cain gripped his cane tightly and began to fall to his knees.

Signas gasped and removed his hat.

Zero slammed his hands on the dash of the jet.

Axl cursed.

And far away, inside the SS base.

X sat in his chair and suddenly a large veil of shock, pain, and sorrow washed over him.

He felt as though he would cry, uncontrollably for no reason.

And one name began to float through his mind.

_Alia……_


	14. CHAPTER 14: Dawn

Axl flew directly toward Falcon.

"YOU BASTARD!" He yelled as he flew toward him.

_Alia….please, don't be dead._

"Ah, it seems that I have tripped a nerve here. For now, I withdraw." With that Flacon sped away.

"…..You bastard….we will get you…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero flew slowly into the large hanger of the carrier.

_Alia….no…you…you have to…_

Once he had landed he got out and walked toward a large rack on the wall, there where Sabers on the wall. Zero gripped one and walked toward the main part of the ship.

_Alia….X…you two….love…._

Two small screwdriver-like mavericks jumped at Zero. Quickly, in one fast motion, the two mavericks became small piles of scrap on the floor.

Zero started to run toward the second part of the hold on the ship when he came face-to-face with a maverick he wished he hadn't, Magma Hyena.

"Stop! All who intrude here are to be terminated."

"Fighting you would be a waste of my time!"

Zero ran at Hyena. Hyena quickly bared his teeth and blew a long stream of flames at Zero. Zero jumped up and grabbed onto a large beam on the ceiling and waited for Hyena to stop blowing flames.

Once he stopped Zero jumped down and ran at Hyena and sliced at one of his legs. Hyena screamed in pain and jumped over Zero.

On Hyena's tail was a large spike ball, and his claws were quite sharp. So when Hyena jumped over Zero he scratched at him, then he smacked him with his tail. Zero landed on the floor, his breath taken out of his chest.

"HAHAHAHA! Not so strong now are you?"

Zero quickly got up and jumped back onto the ceiling beam as Hyena blew another ray of flames. Zero looked down at Hyena and saw something. On his back was a large red crystal. Zero swung back and forth to build momentum. Then once he had enough he sailed through the air and pierced Hyena's crystal. Shattering it and making the maverick scream in pain.

"Take that!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

X stood in his cell again.

_I need to go back…I need to see Zero…Axl...Alia……Signas…_

"HEY! NOCTURNE!" X shouted down the hall.

Nocturne appeared in a cloud of dust, he wore a long red and black robe, almost vampire-ic. Beside him stood two large mavericks, big enough to cover an entire doorway.

"Yes Megaman X?" Nocturne said in his very proper voice.

"What do I have to do around here to get some food?" X asked as he sighed and sat on the bed.

"Humph…Nathaniel!"

A young reploid, he looked like a ten year old child, ran up to Nocturne.

"Yes Master?" Nathaniel asked.

"Master X here needs some food! Give him what he wants…within reason…"

And with that a cloud of dust enveloped Nocturne and the two guards and they disappeared.

The child sighed and walked to the cell door.

"What can I do for you Mr. X?" Nathaniel asked in a shaky scared voice.

X got off the bed and stood at the cell bars on the door.

"Why are you scared?" X asked in a kind voice.

"…M-m-master…he scares me…"

"Why do you work for him?"

"…Master attacked the town I lived in and took me away as a slave…all the children of the town are slaves here…"

"That's horrible…why listen to him? All of you could band together and kill him…"

"…No…No we can't! Master gives us food, shelter, clothing, a life! We are very grateful to Master!"

"Even though he took you away, and probable killed your family…"

The boys sighed and started to cry as he looked away from X.

"I want you to do something for me Nathaniel."

"Nathan…just call me Nathan…"

"Ok, Nathan, I want you to get the key to this cell and hide it in some-sort of food you would bring me. That way the guards won't be suspicious of you coming over here."

Nathan thought about it for a moment and then smiled.

"Ok Mr. X…I'll be back before you know it!"

And with that the child skipped away, off to go help X escape.

_Such a sweet kid…I can't believe Nocturne would use him as a slave…when I break free, I'm going to set all the children free! Nocturne! I'm coming for you!_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Cain slumped down into his chair and sighed.

X was missing.

Zero was fighting to save the city.

Axl was in the middle of a dogfight.

And Alia……

Dr. Cain sighed again.

_Alia…Please don't be dead…_

Dr. Cain was a father figure to all hunters, operators, and workers for the Maverick Hunters. And losing one of his "children" was hard to bear. Dr. Cain had lost hunters in the past and almost lost Zero and X once, but losing Alia, an operator, a dear friend…that was hard.

The large door to Dr. Cain's office opened and Signas entered.

"Ah, Signas…how are Axl and Zero?"

"…Axl…has landed at the crash site…and…Zero is on board the carrier."

"Good…good…so Signas, what will you do now?"

"Huh?"

"You've just lost a great operator. Who will take her place?"

"Doctor…we haven't confirmed her death yet…"

"…Signas, as head of the Maverick Hunter you need to be prepared for anything…I am getting old, much too old to be keeping up with the stress of this job…I need someone to be able to take my place as leader and manager of this organization. I want someone with experience…I have four choices……"

Dr. Cain sighed and looked hurt. "….three choices I mean…"

"Who are they?"

"X, Zero, and you…if I chose X or Zero I would be shooting the Maverick Hunters in the heart. We need X and Zero, they're the best we have…and Alia…."

"She was going to take your place."

"Yes….yes she was…"

"You mean is!"

"What?!"

Signas and Dr. Cain both turned around to see a hunter standing in the doorway, out of breath, with a large smile on his face.

"Sirs, they have found Alia! She's still alive!"

"WHAT!"

"Amazing….truly amazing…" Dr. Cain muttered as he fell back into his chair.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"ALIA!" Axl yelled as he rushed over to her. She was pinned underneath the wreckage of the jet.

"A…Axl!" Alia muttered, she had tried to yell. But she couldn't, not with all this weight on her chest.

"Alia…thank god your alive! CAPTAIN! I want the medical crew here NOW!"

"SIR YES SIR!" said the captain in a joyous voice, everyone had worried about Alia.

Two reploids, in long white lab coats with red crosses on their hats ran toward Axl and Alia with many hunters behind them, all carrying equipment.

One of the reploids in white walked over to Axl and saluted him.

"Lifesaver reporting for duty sir!"


	15. CHAPTER 15: The Secret Ability

Alia lay in the infirmary…again… She had been fully repaired and would be moving about soon, or so said Lifesaver and Sarah.

Dr. Cain, Axl, and Signas all sat in chairs next to Alia. Axl however couldn't sit still and was constantly getting up and walking toward the window.

"Axl, what's wrong?" Dr. Cain asked.

"…I want to find this Hurricane Falcon…I want to find him now!"

"You can fight, after you've said hello to Alia." Signas said.

"But what if that nut job goes after Zero!?"

"Zero will be fine; he's quite capable on his own."

Axl kicked the trashcan and sat down in the chair again.

Alia slowly woke up, and bright white hospital light flooded her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and saw Axl, Signas, and Dr. Cain all sitting near her.

"Hey everyone." Alia said in a tired voice.

"Ah, Alia! How we have worried!" Dr. Cain said as he smiled at her.

"Good to see you awake!" Axl said.

"Hello." Signas said.

"…So, am I going to be alright?"

"Ah, yes. You'll be fine. Don't worry about that…I would worry more about the little secret that you told the entire base." Dr. Cain said with a fatherly chuckle.

Alia blushed as she remembered that she had announced over the radio for Axl and Zero to tell X that she loved him, which meant that all the jets, good and bad heard it. As well as the entire base, which Signas had on the same frequency.

"Don't worry, you can tell X yourself." Axl said.

"…So he's still missing…"

"Yes, for now. But Zero has taken control of the carrier, and the pilot is taking him to the base where X is."

"Great! Than X should be back soon!" Alia said, making Axl roll his eyes and Signas and Dr. Cain chuckle.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

X sat in his cell waiting for Nathan to return with his "food". As he waited he heard two people talking in the hall. X walked over to the cell wall and listened.

"So it will begin soon?"

"Yes, soon Master's powers will return. We just need to get that red hunter here. With the speed from Zero, and the power from X, Master will be invincible."

"Yes, until that hunters learn about the Sol Card."

"Well even if they learn about it, they won't find it in time. Master has already taken X's powers, and once Zero gets here he'll take his. Then we only need five hours until Master has enough power to destroy all humans with the Midnight Breaker."

_WHAT! KILL HUMANS!_

X jumped as he heard another voice, this one outside his cell.

"Mr. X?"

"AH!" X yelped as he heard Nathan.

Nathan giggled. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I have your "food".

"Good. Good, I just need one more favor."

"Yes?"

"Once I'm free, I want you to take me to where the other children are being held. I want to save them."

"Yes sir!"

_Zero…stay away…please…stay away…_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero was standing behind the pilot of the carrier.

"No listen up! Once you land here, these hunters are going to take full control of the ship! When they do we are going to kill you! So if you have anything to say, say it now!"

"…Kill me, destroy the base, save X. Do what you will! BUT NONE SHALL STOP THE MIDNIGHT BREAKER!"

_Midnight Breaker?_

"What is this Midnight Breaker?"

"It is the all powerful Nocturnes cannon. Soon he shall have the power to destroy this world."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A loud siren went off at the Maverick Hunter HQ.

"What is it?!" asked Signas, he and the doctor were standing in the command center.

"INCOMING TRANSMISSION FROM SS HQ!"

"Who are the SS?" Signas asked.

"Patch it through!" Dr. Cain ordered.

Nocturne appeared on a large screen, he was sitting in what seemed to be a throne inside a large castle of sorts.

"Hello Maverick Hunters, I am Nocturne, leader of the SS."

"Hello Nocturne. What do you want?" Signas asked.

"….I would much rather speak with Dr. Cain."

"I'm here Vladu. What do you want?"

"Ah, Doctor. How kind of you to remember my name. But, on to business. I now hold Megaman X, and Zero. You are to give me the Sol Card if you ever want to see them alive again!"

"NEVER! I will never tell you where I put that card!"

"…Well than…I guess that Megaman is not that great of an asset to you after all."

"STOP!" Signas yelled.

"Dr. Cain, what is this card?"

"…The Sol Card was an attack that X knew when I found him. It was called the Sol Repulser. It was to dangerous for X to handle, so I took it away…but now…now if Vladu wants it than he must be trying to use the Midnight Breaker!"

"So right Doctor. Now, shall I kill X? Or will you give me the card you put the attack chip in?"

"NEVER! I WILL NEVER LET YOU DESTROY THE EARTH!"

"….Very well…you have five hours to change your mind, in five hours I will execute X, for all the world to see. Good day, Master Cain."

_What have I done….X…you must escape…the fate of the Earth rests on you and Zero once again…_


	16. CHAPTER 16: Fifth Hour: Escape!

Nocturne sat in a large throne, inside of an old ruined tower, inside of an old ruined castle, outside of the old ruined lab, in the large old forest.

Beside Nocturne stood the mavericks, everyone was there, except Water Shoktor and Magma Hyena.

"Master? Shall we attack the Maverick Hunters and find the Sol Card?" asked Falcon.

"Yes, Master we could go and kill the people in the city!" stated Nightshade.

"Or I could freeze them to death!" Fangard said.

"No…no, we wait. Soon it will be time. Soon Zero and X will come here. Soon I will have my powers returned to me. Soon I shall cast a veil of shadows over this land! SOON ALL OF EARTH WILLBOW DOWN TO ME! SOON I WILL BE THE LORD OF SHADOWS ONCE AGAIN!"

As Nocturne began to laugh madly the mavericks slowly moved away from him.

He had finally snapped. All shreds of sanity where gone.

Back in X's cell, he sat quietly on the bed as Nathan walked up to him with a plate of food. There was some sort of meat, mashed potatoes, and two unidentifiable piles of green and pink goo.

"Hello Nathan." X said in a kind voice.

"Mr. X, I have your food."

Nathan slid the plate through a small door and it lay in the floor of X's cell.

"Oh and Mr. X!" Nathan said as he walked away.

"Yes?"

"I wouldn't try the potatoes, they're a little crunchy."

X knew that Nathan meant that the key was in the potatoes, and so he took the small spoon that came with the food, if you would call it food, and moved the very brown mashed potatoes to the side, revealing a small blue key with a large red bat on top.

_Thanks Nathan…now distract the guards, and you and all your friends will be free!_

As if to read X's mind Nathan walked over to the guards and shouted.

"There is an intruder in Section 12!"

All the guards ran to Section 12, the graveyard outside the old lab.

As X opened the door and ran down the hallway Nathan ran at his side.

"Mr. X, are you going to save me and the other children?" Nathan asked quietly.

"Yes, now where are they being held?"

"Right this way, through the Tower of Execution."

And Nathan and X ran to the right, through two large doors and into a large round white room. It looked like a ball room, due to the large chandelier and the large open space of the room.

On the walls where strange white stone, that didn't seem to match the dark black and red stone of the prison. The ceiling was tall and had a large round circle in the center. On this circle was…

"Sigma?" X asked as he walked through the room.

"What?" Nathan asked as he had heard X speak.

"That symbol on the ceiling…its Sigma's…"

X and Nathan ran in silence toward the Tower of Execution, when Nathan tripped. X bent low to help him up, and when he did he saw something that nearly made him scream.

On Nathan's back, right below his shoulder was a small symbol…

A symbol X hated…

A symbol that all reploids hated…

Sigma….

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Axl stood in the command center, Dr. Cain at his side.

"Something is bothering you Axl…" Dr. Cain stated in his same fatherly tone.

"Yes…."

"What is it?"

"…X…Do you think he'll be ok?"

"…Yes…he'll be fine."

Axl walked away from the doctor toward a window. Dr. Cain felt a wave of anger protrude from the young hunter. Dr. Cain walked over to Axl and placed his hand on the hunters shoulder and sighed.

"It's going to be alright son. Don't worry, Zero and X will find the Sol Card."

"But I want to help!" Axl complained as he turned toward the doctor.

"No…your strong, but you're not strong enough to help get the Sol Card."

"So where is this Sol Card anyway?"

"…Inside of an old ruined castle to the east."

"So why don't we send a large group of hunters to go get it?"

"Because, my hyperactive friend, you will never be able to find the card."

"And why not?"

"Because……because the only person who knows exactly where it is…is dead…"

Axl sighed and turned back to the window. A gentle blow of snow rained down upon the land, blanketing all of the land in a white film of fluffy snow.

In five hours the world would end, in five hours the snow storm would end, in five hours would be the anniversary of the Maverick Hunters, and in five hours would be Christmas.

"…It's only fitting." Axl said.

"What?"

"It's only fitting that the world will end on Christmas…"

"……May god watch over us…and guide Zero and X to safety…"

A large computer in the command center was showing a large clock.

Suddenly a loud computerized voice spoke over all coms and speakers.

FOUR HOURS UNTIL LAUNCH OF MIDNIGHT BREAKER

ZERO LOCATION: UNCONFIRMED

X LOCATION: UNCONFIRMED

SOL CARD LOCATION: UNCONFIRMED

TOTAL HOURS UNTIL END OF COUNDOWN: 4 HOURS 58 MINUTES 35 SECONDS


	17. CHAPTER 17:Fourth Hour: Reunion of Water

Zero drew his Saber and opened the large double doors to enter the ruined lab, inside the old forest, connected to the ruined castle. As Zero walked toward the door he saw a large castle upon a hilltop, and two large towers connected the lab complex to the castle by long hallways.

Zero ran through the long hall of the lab, the entire building was made of stone. And the floor was covered in a long purple and green carpet. Zero burst through the doors at the end of the hall and hung to the wall as two guards walked by.

_Humph, bad security. _

As Zero continued to run he saw a long stair going downward, on the wall above the stair was a letter and a number.

J1

Zero looked around and saw that all the other doors had the same thing, a letter and number.

L1

J2

L4

L3

D1

T3

_WHAT DO THESE MEAN!_

Then Zero saw a small piece of machinery on the table nerby. As he looked at it he found that it was a computerized map of the entire complex, lab and castle.

_According to this map I am in the G1: Great Hall_

_J1: Prison Block one_

_L1: Lab One_

_J2: Prison Block two_

_L4: Lab Four_

_L3: Lab Three_

_D1: Direct Route_

_T3: Tower Section 3_

Zero looked over this map confused at first, but then he noticed that there was a green line on the map, starting at the room he stood in and ending at the Tower of Execution.

_So if I take D1 to L4, then take L4 to T1 then I'll be in the Tower of Execution._

And so Zero followed his instruction and ran into D1.

The room was a hall, at each wall was a suit of armor. On the walls hung paintings of many different humans and reploids.

Sigma, Dr. Cain, a famous painter, owner of the castle, Dr. Doppler, Dr. Light, a famous musician, and…..

Zero stopped when he looked at one of the paintings.

"I know that face……and….that symbol….how….who are you?"

The painting showed a old man, he had white hair and wore a long doctors lab coat. On a broach that tied the coat at his neck was a small gold medallion with a large red W.

Zero stood there looking at the painting for a short time until he heard a loud yelp from further down the hall. Zero ran down the hall and saw a young child lying on the floor and X was laying nearby, both unconscious. And standing over them was a maverick he wanted to kill now more than ever.

Hurricane Falcon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Cain paced back and forth in the infirmary. He was waiting for Alia to be sent out.

Now that Alia was fully recovered he needed her help.

Dr. Cain had a secret mission for Alia and Axl. He needed the Sol Card before it was too late. So the doctor was willing to send Axl and Alia to die, just to gain the card.

Alia walked out of the door and stood near the doctor.

"Ah, good to see you Alia. I have a job for you, can you handle a buster?"

"Yes…is X back yet?"

"No not yet, but Zero is inside the lab so don't worry."

Dr. Cain and Alia walked into the command center, where Axl joined them. Then they walked to the hanger where Dr. Cain began to explain his plan to Alia and Axl.

"Alia, with your condition I wouldn't have sent you…but…you two are needed out there. Axl your fighting, combined with Alia intelligence will be able to break the seal and gain the Sol Card."

"So what do we do to get this card?" Axl asked.

"Simple. There is an old ruined castle to the east. There are two doors that have special codes that need to be entered to open them, and there is one guardian that needs to be killed to open the last door."

"Ok. So Alia can handle the number codes, and I can handle the guardian."

"Yes…but you'll have to hurry. Soon…soon time will be up…I'm having Signas send a group of hunters with you. Be careful."

And with their instructions Alia and Axl were off, to the old castle, but little did they know that this castle was the same one that Nocturne resided inside, or the fact that they were running straight into X and Zero.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"WHAT! THE CARD IS HERE!" Nocturne bellowed.

"Yes sire…I'm afraid so…"

"Well then, where is it?"

"We don't know…we think it may be near the Chapel Tower."

"Well then, take a group there now! I WANT THAT CARD!"

_Soon…this world will be mine…_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero ran up to X and kneeled down.

"X!"

"Z…Z-Zero?" X stammered as he tried to regain consciousness.

"What did you do to them!" Zero yelled to Hurricane Falcon.

"…Hmhmhm…It seems that I have caught quite a catch. Not only have I found X but I get you too? HAHAHA! This must be my luck day."

"Not anymore you bastard! I'm going to kill you for hurting Alia!"

X staggered to his feet. "YOU HURT ALIA!"

"…So she lived? Damn…oh well…I am needed elsewhere, Aqua! Kill them!"

A beam of energy shot into the floor and another maverick showed up.

Aqua Crustacean, he was a large crab with one large claw and a large gun for another claw. He had one crystal eye, and one blue one. And his body was made of many different metals.

The large maverick grinned at the two hunters.

"Aqua, kill them, and bring me their crystals when your done."

"Yes Commander!"

And with that Falcon was gone in a burst of energy leaving the two hunters alone with the maverick.

Nathan squirmed behind them and lifted off the ground.

"AH!" he screamed when he saw the maverick.

_And so it begins…_


	18. CHAPTER 18:Third Hour: Hall of Light

Zero jumped into the air as the large claw of Aqua's crashed down where he was standing. Once into the air Zero dived down, with Saber extended, and pierced the metal of the claw.

X staggered, still in pain from when Falcon attacked him, and fired a couple of shots at Aqua. X was astonished to see that the shots bounced off of Aqua's body.

"They didn't even scratch him!"

Aqua became angry at X and, before X could move, grabbed him and started to tighten his grip.

"X!"

"Z-ZERO!AH!"

X screamed longer and louder as Aqua tightened his grip even more.

_I have to help X or….._

"Mister!" said Nathan as he walked up to Zero. "His eye! He has a crystal eye!"

Zero looked at Aqua, the kid was right, one of Aqua's eyes was made of crystal.

Zero ran at Aqua, but was shot at by two more mavericks as they ran into the room. The two mavericks stood by Aqua and fired thousands of rounds at Zero and Nathan.

Then a large door opened and Falcon reappeared, but unlike last time he wasn't alone. Behind him stood one of the largest armies of maverick reploids that Zero had ever seen.

"That will be quite enough Aqua. We need Master X alive, as we do Master Zero. Take them to the Ceremonial Chambers! Master Nocturne will be waiting for your arrival."

Falcon turned on his heel and left, leaving Aqua and the large force of mavericks to take X and Zero away.

Zero reddied himself to fight when he heard a gasping moan from behind him.

"N…no…Zero….p-put down your…..weapon…." X gasped as he began to lose all consciousness, the air had finally left his body, and soon he would die, if Aqua continued to tighten his grip.

"FALCON SAID WE TAKE X ALIVE!" screamed a guard.

"Well here's the thing, he's not dead…he's just…half dead…" Aqua said as he tossed X's lifeless corpse onto the ground in front of Zero.

"Don't worry Mr. Zero, Mr. X will be fine. He's still breathing, it's just staggered breaths." Nathan said.

"YOU! GUARD!" Aqua commanded.

"Yes Master Aqua?"

"Take this child back to his cell. THE REST OF YOU! TAKE THEM TO HIS MADJESTY!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Axl and Alia stood inside of a large room; that they assumed was the Great Hall, because of the large statues and long hallway.

On each wall was a painting and many tapestries. There were large holes in the ceiling and walls, but the castle still looked brand new. It was strange, the outside was practically falling apart, but the inside was still 100% intact.

As the two reploids walked down the long aisle between the tables of the hall, they noticed that on the ceiling, or what was left of it, was a symbol.

It was a large red bat, but the bat was broken and so the symbol took the shape of….

"Whoa!" Axl yelled.

"What is it?" Alia asked as she stopped walking.

"Look at that bat symbol."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"With the way that the ceiling broke it looks like Sigma's symbol."

"…That's creepy. Can we just go and get this card!"

"Yeah, the sooner I get out of this dusty old rock the better."

Axl and Alia walked through the Great Hall and saw a large stone door at the end of the hall. Engraved on the door where words.

"Hey Axl! Look, this writing…"

"Can you read it?"

"….Some…but I need a book of some sort to understand these symbols here."

"What kind of book?"

"THEE WHO SHALT OPEN THIS DOOR WILL UNLEASE THE POWERS OF THE ANCIENTS"

"WOAH! What was that!" Axl yelled as he heard the loud voice bellow its speech.

"…Oh! I GOT IT!"

"Ok. What does the creepy talking door say?"

"It says: Only Those with Heart of Truth May Face the Trials Four."

"Ok…so what does that mean?"

"…I have no idea…."

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"YOU DID WHAT!" Dr. Cain bellowed to Signas.

"I said, I sent a group of hunters out to the old castle and found that the castle is where Nocturne is stationed."

"DAMIT TO HELL AND BACK!" Dr. Cain yelled as he threw his drinking glass across the room, which shattered on the wall.

"Doctor…why the colorful language?"

"Because I just sent Axl and Alia there to get the card! Nocturne has been at the site were the card was hidden all along!"

"…Do you think Nocturne knew that the card was there?"

"……No…no he doesn't know…but Alia and Axl are going to open the door to the card."

"So?"

"So if Nocturne couldn't open the door, he'll let Alia and Axl do it for him!"

Once they had realized this Signas and Dr. Cain rushed into the command center.

"I WANT EVERY AVALIABLE HUNTER WITH ME! NOW!" Signas bellowed.

"And I want every operator online! Shut down all programs that aren't essential! I want this entire base ready to fight!"

All the hunters in the base rushed around getting there weapons and armor, bikes, mech, and even files to take to the operators. All the operators ran and nearly jumped into their seats and started up there systems.

"We can't do this…" Signas said.

"What do you mean?"

"…We only have fifty operators, and six hundred hunters."

"…True…we can't multitask well…Signas."

"Yes?"

"…Go…"

"Huh?"

"Go! Go with the hunters! Fight with them, give them direction, I need you to be their eyes and shield!"

"Yes sir!"

With that everyone ran about getting ready. Dr. Cain stood in the center of the large round command center, in the center of the large round symbol on the floor. Hundreds of people ran around him, but he held his ground, staring straight at the computer screen.

THREE HOURS UNTIL LAUNCH OF MIDNIGHT BREAKER

LOCATION OF X: CASTLE RUIN

LOCATION OF ZERO: CASTLE RUIN

LOCATION OF AXL: CASTLE RUIN

LOCATION OF ALIA: CASTLE RUIN

LOCATION OF SOL CARD: CASTLE RUIN

TOTAL TIME UNTIL LAUNCH OF MIDNIGHT BREAKER

3HOURS 58MINUTES 31SECONDS

AUTHOR NOTE:

Hello all.

As always I am trying to improve my stories and writing style whereever i go.

So i would like to ask you, the reader.

What can i improve on?

What part of the story is confusing?

Did i get something wrong, such as a name, charater, or place?

And of course, are my stories entertaining for you?

I try and make my stories entertaining, so tell me.

Are there charaters you would like me to add to a story?

Or, is there a story that you would like to to write?

Is there a pairing of people that you want to me write about?

Please, all critisism is welcome, good and bad.

Until then, i shall see you all in the wonderful world of fan fiction.

Megaman Trigger 2.0


	19. CHAPTER 19:Second Hour: Sol in Shadows

X and Zero where led up a tall flight of stairs to the tallest tower of the entire castle. As they walked up the stairs they could see the snow begin to fall fiercely and the sunset. All shreds of light and hope where fading fast.

At the top of the stairs was a large door, and on this door was the same symbol as before. Zero recognized it immediately.

_The picture…W…Wily………_

The castle that they stood in was Dr. Wily's castle, the same caste that in the year 20XX Zero was built, the same year that Megaman destroyed Wily's robots the last time, the same year the Megaman was destroyed.

He knew he recognized it.

As the large door opened the hunters walked into a large throne room. A long red carper stretched from the door to the throne. In the center of the room was a large W on the floor, and the ceiling held a large white chandelier, which matched the white walls and floors.

There were two small windows, one on the right wall, one on the left wall. Above the throne was a large flag. On this flag was the large red W.

X had never seen the W symbol before, but Zero had…he knew what it meant.

"Welcome Maverick Hunters…Welcome, to the house of the dammed."

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"I'VE GOT IT!" Alia screamed

"Good." Axl said after being scared half to death by Alia's scream.

Alia found that the door was a giant key. All she had to do was spin the right tiles on the door and it would open. The combination for the door was:

2,2,20XX

The large door slid upwards and opened. Inside was a large creature, it looked like some sort of reploid created to look like a dragon. It was green, with large wild red eyes.

The reploid ran and Axl, which was more like falling because the dragon was very fat.

Axl dodged the dragon and fired a bullet directly into its eyes.

The dragon screamed and two small doors opened. And other dragons, much smaller, walked out and swarmed Axl and Alia. Each one nipped at them, and after awhile it began to hurt.

"ALAI! DO SOMETHING!"

"WHY ME!?"

"BECAUSE! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT ALWAYS FIXS ANY MESS I'M IN!"

Alia saw that the tiles under the dragon where different than others, so she looked for a trigger. On the wall was a lever.

Fighting the swarm Alia stumbled her way to the lever and yanked downward.

The floor under the dragon fell out, and the dragon screamed all the way to the spiky pit below.

After seeing their mother fall all the smaller baby dragons flew after her, right into the pit.

Once they were inside Alia pulled the lever up again and a large grating covered the pit.

"Well…that takes care of that." Axl said.

"A thank you would be nice…" Alia said in a joking tone.

"Thank you…" Axl said plainly

"Oh how sweet…" Alia said in a sarcastic tone, making the two reploids laugh at their little moment as they walked further into the castle.

When they reached the final door they were surprised to see it was a simple one. The riddle was, Find the Item that Shines in the Dark.

"…Well…is it something made of glass?" Axl asked.

"…No…No but I think I know what it is…"

On the door where large letters. Alia walked to the first letter, F, and pushed inward. The tile lit green and sunk into the door.

"Ok, so it starts with F?" Axl asked.

"Are you really that stupid?"

"Well that's just a little rude! I mean I know I'm not brilliant or anything but really, stupid?"

Alia disregarded Axl and pushed in the rest of the letters.

L

A

S

H

L

I

G

H

T

FLASHLIGHT

With the letters entered into the door it opened, revealing a large round room. In the center of the room was a small staircase that led to a podium, and resting on this podium was a small chip-like object.

"All this shit for a little chip?" Axl asked astonished.

"…Never judge a book by its cover…"

"Yeah well I don't read much, so can we just get it and leave."

"I don't think so! You two are going nowhere!"

Axl and Alia slowly turned to see Hurricane Falcon and a large battalion of guards.

"YOU! You're the one that tried to kill Alia!"

"Once yes, Master tried it first. I must say, you are quite a tough young woman."

"Thank you…" Alia said plainly with no emotion at all.

"…Take them away. I think they may want to see their friends one last time before they die…"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO X AND ZERO!" Axl yelled as he was cuffed by guards.

"Nothing that can't be undone…except…"

"Except?" Alia asked filled with anger.

"Except the little problem of X being half dead…Hahhahahahha!"

"YOU BASTARD!" Axl and Alia screamed in unison as the guards marched them away.

Falcon walked toward the stairs and looked triumphantly at the chip.

"…The fate of the world rests on one small piece of metal and plastic…"

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"Sir we have news!" said an operator as she burst into Dr. Cain's office.

"Yes? Speak!"

"X and Zero have been taken to the SS throne room in the castle…and Alia and Axl have just been…taken by the guards….Hurricane Falcon has the Sol Card…"

"Dammit…Dammit….DAMMIT ALL!" Dr. Cain yelled as he began to throw glass jars across the room, becoming progressively angry.

"Sir…you need to be more careful, remember your blood pressure."

"WHERE IS SIGNAS!"

"H-He's on his way to the castle now…."

"……Let us pray…pray that he makes it there it time…"

ATTENTION ALL HUNTERS! LAUNCH OF THE MIDNIGHT BREAKER WILL BEGIN IN APROXIMATLY TWO HOURS!

ALL LOCATIONS OF MAVERICK HUNTERS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED.

ALL MAVERICK HUNTERS ARE TO REPORT TO THE CASTLE.

SOL CARD IS POSESSED BY THE SS.

ODDS OF MAVERICK HUNTERS DEFEATING THE SS

30%

ODDS OF MAVERICK HUNTERS BEING KILLED BY THE SS

70%

And so…the beginning had ended…and the dark hand of fate extended across all of the Earth…The fate of the human race, and the reploid race…rest in your hands yet again X…

You must win…for us all…

Memoir of Dr. Cain

Chapter 30: Finale. The Ending of Our World

Page 831


	20. CHAPTER 20:Final Hour: Battle of Winds

Nocturne wore a long black cape-like robe, the outside was black and the inside was red. In his right hand was a large Saber, bent in different directions. His cape flowed onto the floor and dragged behind him as he walked.

He had a large evil grin on his face. He looked at Zero and X filled with dark lust.

X was still weak, and half dead, and was being held up by Zero.

"So…You are Master's greatest creation?" Nocturne said as he stood in front of Zero.

"What did you say?"

"…Hmhmhmhm…amusing…created for the same purpose as I, and yet you still fight me."

"What do you mean, purpose?"

"Hmhmhmhmhm…we are very much alike Zero."

"I'M NOTING LIKE YOU!"

"Oh, you're not? Have you ever had the urge to destroy something, just for the thrill of it? Have you ever wanted something badly enough you would destroy everything for it? You know why you where created? You need to fulfill your purpose Zero!"

"NO! I'M NOT THAT REPLOID ANYMORE!"

"Hmhmhmhm…What do you think Master? Will he do well......Yes…Yes I think so…" Nocturne began talking to himself.

"…Ah…I see…alright….good idea…"

_This man is nothing but a complete nut job!_

"Zero…Master Wily is very disappointed with you…but, he will give you another chance."

Nocturne walked over to X and lifted his off the ground by his neck.

"STOP!"

"If you want me to stop than try and kill me! Or better yet, kill X!"

"WHAT!"

"He's in pain…do you really want to make him suffer?"

Zero looked at X, his best friend, his partner, his fellow hunter, no matter what he could see him die! It wasn't right!

_I'm supposed to die here…not X…he has better things to do…_

Zero suddenly burst from his guard, and ran at Nocturne with his Saber extended.

"YOU BASTARD!"

----------------------------------------------------------------

Falcon stood outside of Nocturne's throne room, the card in his hand when he heard a scream of pain.

"MASTER!" Falcon screamed as he ran inside.

His master lay on the floor, in a pile of cloak.

"YOU!" Falcon said glaring at Zero.

"…ah…shit…" Zero said panting

"Guards! OUT! NOW!"

All the guards left the room. Leaving Zero and Falcon alone.

"Prepare to die Zero!"

"I could beat you before! And I can beat you now!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Axl and Alia were being marched up the stairs toward the throne room when Axl stopped walking.

"Keep moving prisoner!"

"Can I at least rest my legs a moment?"

"…Fine…he is right, my legs are killing me! Why did Wily have to put so many damn stairs in this castle!"

Axl slowly reached down to his boot and removed a small sharp pen. He always kept a small sewing pin with him, in case he needed to unlock something. When Alia say what he was doing she turned and tried to distract the guards.

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"You said this castle belonged to Wily? Is that Dr. Wily?"

"Yes. You see Nocturne was created by Wily. He was a…backup…in case Zero failed to do his job."

"…So…Nocturne is working for Dr. Wily?"

"Yes, who did you think he was working for?"

"Sigma."

"Oh no. Of course not!"

_Someone here is working for Sigma…I know it!_

"Alright let's get moving!"

"Just one more thing." Axl said.

"What's that?"

"I think you dropped this." Axl said as he pointed his ready to fire gun at the guards face and fired.

Alia kicked a guard near her in the head, making him fall down the stairs knocking other guards to the ground.

Axl and Alia turned and ran for the door to the throne room.

_X…please….Zero keep X safe…_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Falcon ran at Zero, much faster than Storm Eagle ever did. Zero jumped upward and grabbed the chandelier and swung to the left, and jumped onto the wall and slid down, as to avoid Falcon.

Falcon growled and threw his hands out toward Zero, sending shock waves of air at him. So strong that they made the tiles on the floor shatter and the carpet buckle.

Zero tried to jump, but was hit by the blast and thrown into the throne. Zero hit the throne so had that it broke like glass and he hit the wall.

_Damn…this guy's strong…_

"Ready to give up Zero?" Falcon asked.

"NEVER!" Zero cried as he shot out of the debris of the throne and slashed at Falcon, cutting his right arm.

Falcon retaliated by screeching a deafening screech. A swarm of small bird mecanaloids rushed inside and attacked Zero. Each one was as small as a humming bird, but had a beak as sharp as a needle.

Zero slashed at what he could, but missed many. Falcon laughed at Zero as he saw the brave red hunter slashing at tiny little humming birds. Zero got pissed, that's the only way to put it, and screamed, jumped into the air and cut the chandelier from its holdings onto the ceiling.

The glass chandelier crashed down on top of Falcon, flattening him on the floor.

"Now just die…" Zero said as he fell onto his knees in pain.

But that wasn't what happened.

Falcon rose up into the air and flew away, out of the window, lost in the storm, and gone from sight.

Suddenly the door began to open. Zero readied himself to fight.

Just as he was about to slice at them he saw two figures he thought he would never see.

"AXL! ALIA!"

"ZERO! YOU'R ALIVE!" they yelled, until Alia saw X.

"X!" she cried as she ran to him.

X was sitting in the corner, still half dead.

"…X…."

"……A….A-lia…..it's….good…to…see you………"

"….X, I was really worried about you…."

"…..I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"I couldn't…stop…the…man who attacked you……..and………"

"It's ok X. You, me, Zero, Axl, even Signas is coming. We'll fight Nocturne together."

"……..Thank you Alia…." X said before falling asleep again.

_X…he needs help…or…._

"Zero! Is there any way we can repair him?"

"…I don't think so…"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dr. Cain! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to the castle."

"But sir?"

"No buts! Now I want you to dispatch all operators, mechanics, even hunters if there are any left! I want them all in jets and over at that castle!"

"But sir! What about the snow storm!"

"Don't you worry about that! According to my calculations it should be ending in….three….two…one."

And on the doctors count the snow ended. Dr. Cain climed into a jet plane and lauched, and flew away. Off to the castle, to help X and Zero and Axl and Signas and Alia and anyone else that needed him. He was the only one, aside from X, who could repair X.

_Shadows fall over us all…the question is not if we can do it…it is…can we do it, in time…_

ONE HOUR LEFT UNTIL LAUNCH OF MIDHING BREAKER


	21. CHAPTER 21: Final Battle pt1: Stairway

Zero, Axl, Alia, and X all where inside the castle throne room, meanwhile down the staircase in the great hall was Signas and .

"So do you know where we are going?" Dr. Cain asked

"Of course I know where we're going!" Signas said as he walked up a flight of stairs.

"…Are you certain?"

"Yes I'm certain!" Signas bellowed back at the doctor.

"……I don't think that's the right way…"

"Oh really? Why?"

"…Because the sign above the door says L1. That stands for Lab 1, and we are going to the Throne Room, which is in the opposite direction."

Signas and Dr. Cain remained silent as the doctor turned and walked away, and up the other flight of stairs.

"You're not always right you know!" Signas yelled back.

"Yes I am!" Dr. Cain said back

"NO YOUR NOT!" Signas said as he ran after the doctor, who despite his old age moved very quickly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Falcon slowly flew to a stop on the castle rooftop. The top tower, where the throne room was, had a flat roof. And on this roof sat the Midnight Breaker cannon. And Falcon had the Sol Card to activate the cannon.

"This world needs to repent for its sins. It is too unstable. Soon…everything will be perfect."

Falcon spoke in a trance as his eyes suddenly turned as red as Nocturnes', his colors changed to black and red, and his voice deepened. His talons grew longer, and he grew taller.

"This world…and everything in it…is trash…."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero and Axl stood over Nocturne's body.

"So is he dead?"

"…Yes..."

_I hope…_

"N-no…" X stammered as he tried to stand.

"X!" Alia yelped as she ran to his aide, just in time to catch him from falling.

"Thank you A-Alia…" X said as he looked at Alia with a kind caring face.

Alia and X just stood there staring at one another until Zero cleared his throat, making them move away from each other.

"Why do you say no X?"

"…He's strong…very strong…there's no way he would die that easy…"

"How right you are Megaman X." Nocturne's body said as it began to shake and shift into a standing position.

"HOLY!" Axl was cut off by a loud metal screeching sound.

"What was that!?" Alia asked.

"The Midnight Breaker…the time for this world to repent is at hand! So all of the human and reploid races will be extinguished!"

"But you're going to die too!" Zero said.

"No…no I won't die. Because Master Wily made me invincible! I can't die! He told me so himself!"

_He might have been invincible at the time…_

Suddenly the doors burst open and a army of maverick hunters burst inside. Signas and Dr. Cain followed at the end of the line. Dr. Cain hoppled over to X and started to repair him with a kit he had brought with him. Signas walked next to Axl and Zero and drew his weapon. It was a Saber, like Zero's. Only much larger and it glowed purple instead of the greenish yellow of Zeros.

"H-Hi D-Dr. Cain….i'm glad to see you…I hurt like hell."

"Ha-ha…well don't you worry X, you'll be up and running in no time. SIGNAS! KEEP THE NUTJOB BUSY!"

"Yes sir!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So you puny maverick hunter think you can defeat me!? AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Nocturne opened his cape all the way and it seemed like gravity was gone. Things in the room floated into the air, including the hunters. Nocturne moved his arms as if throwing something and the objects in the room crashed into one another.

Zero was picked up by some invisible force and thrown into another hunter. Axl was thrown into Alia, and Signas was slammed into the wall. Nocturne laughed madly at seeing the hunters scattered around the room, Zero, Axl, Alia, and Signas all stood up, but some of the other hunters didn't.

Nocturne opened his cloak yet again, but this time giant orbs of electricity and fire shot out striking Signas and Zero as they ran at him. Axl drew his gun and fired, but Nocturne used his hand to deflect the shots. Alia fired a gun she had at Nocturne but he used the same gravity in the room to turn the gun around and make it shoot her.

Alia fell down onto the wall, with a large gunshot wound on her shoulder.

"ALIA!" X screamed trying to stand up.

"X! If you keep doing that I'll never get you repaired!"

"Doctor I feel a lot better now! Go help Alia!"

"I'm not finished…"

"GO HELP ALIA!" X yelled right in the doctors face. Dr. Cain was frozen in place, X had never done that to anyone, especially him.

X staggered to his feet and stood in front of Nocturne.

"Hmhmhmhm…so…The Great Megaman X is going to challenge me to a fight?"

"Yes! You, me! No one else! The roof NOW!"

"As you wish!"

A large black cloud engulfed X and Nocturne and teleported them to the roof.

Zero and Signas stood back up, Axl cursed, Alia cried and Dr. Cain sighed.

Now X was on the roof. Alone.

Fighting Nocturne, and soon….Falcon…

"I have to go help X!" Zero said.

"Me too!" Axl said.

"There are some stairs to the rooftop in the great hall. Hurry!" Dr. Cain said as he kneeled down to help Alia.

"I'm going too." Signas said.

"No…leave this to the young ones. Now Signas, I need you to help me with Alia here."

"…Yes sir…"

"But Dr. Cain! You need to be there for X!"

"Here you go again Alia…putting those you care about ahead of our own health…"

"Doctor please! I'm fine! I just want you to help X!"

"…X will kill me for doing this…but ok. Signas, haul her up. We're going to the roof!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

X stood on the roof; Nocturne was floating in the air. The wind was dead, and it was eerily quiet. Nocturne floated up and removed his cloak, revealing two crystals on his body. One was on his neck, where the cape had hung, and the other was on his back in the center of the W symbol.

Over to the side of the roof was the Midnight Breaker, and Falcon.

"Sire! Should I help you kill this fool?"

"No…I will do it myself!"

Nocturne snapped his fingers and a large barrier wall cut X and himself off from the rest of the roof.

X began to charge his buster and Noctunre slowly floated across the roof.

"Your move Master X."

"Thank you." X said as he fired a large buster shot at Nocturne. The shot moved all the way to his body but was deflected by his armor.

"WHAT! That was a full charge shot!"

"That was the best you can do!? No wonder Master Wily said you where weak!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a large explosion on the staircase, stopping Zero, and Axl in their tracks. As the smoke cleared they saw a small child standing on the other side of the stair.

"HEY! What's going on!?" Axl yelled to the child. The child's eyes glowed red and it floated into the air as well.

Then Zero recognized the child, it was the one that was with X when he found him.

"You are bad people…" Nathan said.

"What?"

"You came here and angered Master…you made father very mad…"

"Father!"

"Yes…Father Wily…you made him very mad…and for that…you will die…along with your friend Mr. X…"

"Oh yeah! And you're going to kill us!?" Axl yelled.

"No not me…them…" Nathan said pointing behind Zero and Axl to a group of mavericks standing behind them. It was Flash Beast, Shadow Nightshade, Degree Fangard, and Rockslide Keeper.

"Oh shit…" Axl said.

"Oh shit indeed." Said another voice. Dr. Cain. He and Signas where just now ascending the stair.

Flash and Shadow turned to Zero and Axl. Degree and Rockslide turned to Dr. Cain and Signas.

Dr. Cain sighed and lay Alia against the wall. He then took his cane and gripped the top and pulled. The cane came out of its wooden base to reveal a sword hilt. Dr. Cain then pressed a small button and the sword extended into a full Saber, just like Zero and Signas.

"You're going to fight Doctor?!" Alia exclaimed shocked at the doctors actions.

"I'm old but I still know how to use this. And besides, if I die I would like to die an exciting death."

"I'm fight with you Doctor." Signas said.

"Good, try and keep up." Dr. Cain said, causing Signas to chuckle. However as he had a good chuckle Dr. Cain pointed the sword at one of the mavericks and it shot out a long laser at him. Hitting Degree and knocking him to the stairs.

"Wow!" Signas said.

"Cool sword Dr. Cain!" Axl said.

"That's not all it does." Dr. Cain said grinning.

Degree jumped at Dr. Cain, Dr. Cain quickly slashed at him, and missed, but was able to block Degree's attack on the down thrust. Signas ran at Rockslide and jumped up toward the large crystal on his head, Rockslide lifted his arms and pounded them onto the stair making a large section of it fall away. The very section that Dr. Cain stood on.

Dr. Cain grabbed Alia and pressed another button on his sword hilt. A large round bubble of energy encased them and Dr. Cain walked with the bubble back onto the stair.

Alia looked at Dr. Cain with a wild look.

"You didn't think I just gave threw away all of X's old powers did you?"

Alia chuckled and Dr. Cain laid her back against the wall, further down the stair.

"Now…where were we?" Dr. Cain said as he pointed the blade back at Degree.

Degree jumped upward, revealing a crystal on his stomach. Dr. Cain took note of this and ran at Degree. Degree quickly shot sickles of ice straight at the doctor. Dr. Cain used his sword to destroy them; he then took the blade and threw it at Degree. Upon hitting him it returned to Dr. Cain's hand like a boomerang.

Degree shot ice into the air, which stuck to the ceiling and dropped down at Dr. Cain in large chunks.

Dr. Cain, amazingly, did a back flip and landed out of range of the ice.

Alia sat this and clapped.

"GO DOCTOR CAIN!" yelling this made everyone, good and bad, stop and watch Dr. Cain.

"Ouch…I'm not that young anymore." Dr. Cain said as he began to feel the pain from the flip. Degree ran at Dr. Cain, he countered this by pointing the hilt of the sword in Degree's direction and pressing a button, causing Degree to become encased in a large energy barrier.

As Degree tried to get out, Dr. Cain moved his sword toward the area where there was no stair, and the closets ground was about three story's down.

"Any last words?" Dr. Cain asked.

"…Fuck you." Degree said as Dr. Cain released the button causing Degree to fall, and make quite a sickening splatting noise at the bottom of the stair.

"Not very nice last words…" Dr. Cain said as he returned to Alia.

Everyone had returned to fighting by now. Signas had removed Rockslides arms by cutting them off, and now Rockslide couldn't attack.

"This is too easy." Signas said as he jumped up and did an uppercut, smashing the crystal and destroying Rockslide.

Meanwhile Axl and Zero had teamed up and taken down Flash, now all that was left was Shadow.

"….So, do you still think you can beat us? After all Dr. Cain just beat you friend up pretty bad! And we're a lot younger than him!" Axl said.

"HEY! HOW OLD DO YOU THINK I AM!" Dr. Cain yelled after hearing Axl's remark, which made everyone laugh.

"….Um…shit…" Shadow said as he realized that he was outnumbered, badly.

"Give up?" Zero asked.

"…N-Never! I'm a loyal officer till the end!"

Zero took his Saber and sliced directly into Shadow's center killing him instantly.

"Pity…we could use more hunters with that attitude…"

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" Nathan yelled as he suddenly appeared in front of the door with two large guns in his hands.

"Whoa! Put those down!" Axl said.

"NO! YOU MADE FATHER MADE! AND MASTER! SO I HAVE TO KILL YOU! OR DIE TRYING!"

Zero was about to kill the kid when Dr. Cain stepped in.

"Wait! Child could you grant an old man one last request?" Dr. Cain said in a very convincing lie.

"Yes."

"Turn around…"

"ok."

Nathan turned and Zero saw the strange leech like robot attached to him, and on it was Sigma's symbol. Zero carefully sliced off the robot and Nathan fell to the floor unconscious.

"So what does this mean?" Axl asked.

"…It means that all the reploids here aren't mavericks…they were being controlled by Sigma…"

"But Sigma's dead!" Zero said.

"…Maybe…or maybe these reploids are trying to recreate him! Maybe the Midnight Breaker isn't a weapon to destroy the world…"

"But a machine to give life to Sigma…" Signas finished.

"Oh…" Axl started.

"Shit." Alia said as she stumbled up the stair.

"Indeed." Dr. Cain said.

If this was true than Nocturne wasn't the only thing that they had to worry about…


	22. CHAPTER22:Final Battlept2:Roof of Sorrow

Falcon looked at his master in shock.

"But sir!"

"No! I fight X alone! You take care of the Midnight Breaker!"

"…As you wish."

_How can I hurt him if my shots bounce off!?_ X yelled inside himself.

"Now X, is that really all you've got?"

X fired more shots at Nocturne, all of them bounced away.

"…Pity…I thought this would be a challenge." Nocturne said as he suddenly shot forward, faster than X had ever seen someone move, and punch X. X was hit with an enormous force, almost like all the air around him was channeled into that punch, and slammed into the barrier behind him.

"X!" Zero yelled as he jumped up the last stair and burst onto the roof.

"Damn! Not you again! Why don't you just die!?" Falcon yelled as he threw his hands at Zero, sending two waves of powerful wind at him. Zero was hit, but held his ground, Axl however, who was just now standing near Zero, was thrown down the stair.

Zero ran at Falcon, Falcon's arm began to glow a strange color and turned into a long blade. So now Falcon had a saber, only his saber was his arm.

Zero sliced at Falcon, who quickly sliced back and hit Zero's arm. Zero yelled as he looked at the cut, it had a strange purple-ish goo around the cut.

"What is that!"

"Poison, what else?" Falcon said casually as he ran at Zero again.

X jumped toward Nocturne, but he passed right through Nocturne's body. Nocturne slowly reappeared behind X laughing.

"WHAT ARE YOU!"

"I am the man who kills you." Nocturne said as he suddenly shot two large orbs of fire at X. X jumped the first one, but the second one hit him hard and knocked him to the ground.

Nocturne laughed again and fired two orbs of electricity at X. X quickly jumped up and dodged the orbs. As X jumped up, and on his decent he fired at Nocturne, aiming for the crystal on his neck. Each shot that hit Nocturnes body was deflected, but one shot hit his neck. Nocturne screamed in pain and slowly descended onto the roof, the crystal on his throat was cracked.

"AHH!" Nocturne yelled. "YOU BASTARD!"

"YES!" X yelled as he fired at Nocturne again, but a new barrier appeared and the battlefield changed.

The barrier that had encased X, and split the roof in two pieces vertically, was now splitting the roof into two pieces horizontally. So X turned around and watched as Nocturne evanesced back onto the roof.

Nocturne was wearing different armor and was wearing the cape again. Only this cape was yellow on the inside and purple outside, and the armor was black with white trim. The crystal on his neck was gone, it now resided on his chest. And the crystal on his back was now on his forehead.

_The crystals sure are in easy to hit places!_ X thought as he looked at Nocturne.

"If the power of fire and electricity couldn't kill you, then maybe ice and wind will!" Nocturne yelled as he ran at X with a large long sword made of what seemed to be ice, or some sort of crystal.

X back flipped away from Nocturne and fired at Nocturne as he flipped. He struck Nocturne's chest crystal which cracked. But Nocturne didn't stop, instead he continued to slice at X.

_Damn! He got faster and stronger!_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Axl, Alia, Signas, and Dr. Cain all rushed onto the roof.

"X!" Alia yelled.

"ZERO! LOOK OUT!" Axl yelled as Falcon jumped at him.

"…Signas…I want you to call every hunter you can here now."

"Yes doctor." Signas said as he began to speak to the operators at the HQ.

Dr. Cain sighed and watched the two hunters fight, Zero, X, fighting to save them all.

Suddenly there was a large gunshot that sailed toward Alia, who was standing near Dr. Cain. Dr. Cain saw this and pulled out his sword in time to deflect the shot, which was followed by a large group of mavericks suddenly appearing on the roof, they all had large guns and jetpacks.

Axl ran at them, shooting wildly, Dr. Cain stood his ground, and Alia fired a few shots before her arm started to hurt again. Signas turned off his com and ran at the group as well.

"Doctor, you need to help X somehow." Alia pleaded.

"I know…but with that barrier up we can't even get to X…"

Alia glanced around the roof and saw a strange beam of light touching the barrier. She followed the light with her eyes and saw that there was a small device on the Midnight Breaker machine that was conducting the barrier.

"Doctor! The Midnight Breaker!"

"Alia, you can't stay here in your condition. Get inside and stay there!"

"But doctor!"

"No buts! Stay on that staircase!" Dr. Cain ran off toward where Zero fought Falcon. Zero and Falcon's saber clashed at a brisk rhythm. Dr. Cain saw this and hit his in time with Zero, overpowering Falcon.

Falcon stumbled backward and screeched; two mavericks with sabers ran over and started attacking Zero and Dr. Cain from behind. Dr. Cain quickly blocked behind him and sliced the maverick, as well as block Falcon's attack in one move.

Zero did the same, only he killed the maverick attacking him. Once the first maverick had died the second ran off, leaving Falcon and the two swordsmen alone.

"…Well…Zero you are as strong as I thought, and Doctor…you're good for your old age"

"Humph. Thank you." Dr. Cain said as he hit and Falcon again. Falcon blocked it, but didn't have time to block Zero's attack. Zero hit him hard on the crystal on his forehead.

"ARGH!" Falcon cried out as he slowly became dizzy, eventually falling to his knees where Dr. Cain sliced his head clean off.

"Now please…die." Dr. Cain said out of breath.

Suddenly the entire roof was filled with a scream of events.

Axl was sent flying off the roof, he now was hanging for his life by the roof tiles.

Signas had been hit hard and was now lying on the roof unconscious.

Dr. Cain was suddenly gripped by a flying maverick and thrown down onto the roof from very high up.

Zero was shot from behind and lay on the roof in pain.

A scream resonated from the stairway. It was Alia, two guards now had her at gunpoint.

Then there was a roar of activity below on the castle grounds.

The army of mavericks was fighting with the maverick hunter army that had just arrived.

And now X was alone, fighting Nocturne by himself.

"Do you give up X?" Nocturne asked as he motioned to all of X's fallen friends.

"NEVER!" X yelled as he jumped at Nocturne, but he passed right through Nocturne again and saw a wonderful sight.

A maverick hunter was clinging to the back of a maverick on a jet pack and had been flown to the top of the castle, now that he was on the roof he and the maverick where fighting. And in the fight they both hit the Midnight Breaker and destroyed the small device creating the barrier.

X cried a yell of success as the barrier fell.

"DAMN! YOU BASTARD! YOU WILL ALL DIE!" Nocturne yelled as he floated higher.

Suddenly X reached out and caught a sword. X look over to the side of the castle and saw Zero standing there. Zero then ran at Nocturne and jumped onto his and started to punch him. Nocturne began to fight back, shaking and jerking in the air trying to throw Zero down. Then two gunshots hit Nocturne, it was Signas and Alia.

There was a loud roar of screams as the stairs overflowed with the hunters and they raced onto the roof.

Dr. Cain slowly stood, barely able to stand two hunters held him up.

Axl finally climbed back up onto the roof and pointed his gun at Nocturne.

Nocturne finally knocked Zero down onto the roof.

"Your outnumbered Nocturne! You can't win!" X yelled.

"Give up Nocturne and we'll let you live!" Axl yelled.

"It's over Nocturne!" Zero said.

Dr. Cain slowly moved over toward them and pointed his blade at Nocturne. Signas did the same, followed by Alia who pointed her buster at him.

All the hunters on the roof also pointed their weapons at him.

"Hmhmhmhm……hahahahaha……HAAHAHHAHAHA…..AAAHHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Nocturne laughed madly.

Everyone tensed up hearing him laugh.

"DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN STOP ME? HHAHAAHAHAHAHA! I AM NOT ORDINARY REPLOID! I HOUSE IN ME THE POWER OF THE SIGMA VIRUS AND THE MIDNIGHT BREAKER! NONE CAN STOP ME!"

"SHIT!" X yelled as a large burst of flame suddenly shot out from Nocturne, knocking everyone to the ground.

X was the only one who stood back up. Nocturne now stood before them, only he didn't look like Nocturne. He had Nocturne's body but the face of Sigma.

"SIGMA!"

"HAHAHAHA! Nocturne served his purpose well, to bring me all the hunters and supply me with the Midnight Breaker. But now it is time for you to die X."

"SIGMA! THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU WILL EVER PLAGUE THIS LAND!" X yelled as he jumped at Sigma. Sigma deflected it with his own saber.

As the two of them clashed blades countless times X realized a fact. Nocturne hadn't always been a maverick. Which meant that he must have been infected with the Sigma virus. Which meant that Sigma had came to life in Nocturnes body.

But what did Sigma want with the Midnight Breaker?

As they clashed blades again and again X began to speak with his old hunter friend, and enemy.

"So, why do you want the Midnight Breaker?"

"Simple." Sigma said as he jumped upward, landing on the top of the Midnight Breaker.

"With this machine, and the Sol Card, I can create enough energy to keep myself alive for eons!"

So that was it! Since X and the hunters had beaten Sigma countless times he wanted to make himself invincible.

"But you see X, the only way to work the Midnight Breaker is by using the life of the one who was made to use it. And that was Nocturne. Dr. Wily created him for the purpose of giving life to his old robots when they died. But Nocturne was sealed away and forgot his purpose and became a maverick hunter. When I infected him he remembered Dr. Wily, and the Midnight Breaker. The reason he attacked Alia in the base was because she was the only person at the HQ who knew about the Midnight Breaker, besides Dr. Cain. Because when Dr. Cain took the Sol Card from you he wanted to seal it far away. The only people he told were Alia and Zero. Nocturne went after Alia because she was weak, you see X, the Midnight Breaker was hidden in the same castle as the Sol Card, because they are the same thing! All the Sol Card is, is the extra weapon to power it! And now that I have it and the machine I will live forever, off of the energy of your friends. And I'll start with Alia…"

"YOU BASTARD!" X yelled as he jumped at him. Sigma blocked the attack and hit X hard, slicing across his chest. X fell onto the roof, but quickly jumped up and ran at Sigma again.

Sigma jumped back onto the roof and blocked X's attacks with ease.

"Is this the best you can do X? I'm disappointed…"

"SHUT UP!" X yelled as he did a quick uppercut, hitting Sigma.

"ARGH! YOU LITTLE!" Sigma yelled as he felt the pain of the cut. Yet again he jumped, this time over X and back onto the machine.

Sigma took the Sol Card, which was lying on the front of the machine and pressed it into the slot it belonged in.

"NO!" X yelled as he ran to stop him.

"Say goodbye to your friends X!" Sigma yelled as he slammed the card into its slot.

The machine whirled to life and a large spire on it shot out a bolt of power into each reploid on the rooftop, except Sigma. Each reploid that was hit with the bolt slowly began to lose energy, and the energy was siphoned into the machine and into Sigma.

"SIGMA! You….you…bastard…." X began to mumble as he grew weak and fell to his knees.

"How does it feel to die X? THAT IS WHAT I HAVE FELT FOR YEARS!"

X's vision slowly began to cloud as he fell onto the rooftop and began to enter a permanent unconscious state.

Then X watched in horror as Alia ran at Sigma and knocked him to the rooftop, disconnecting him from the machine.

X tried to move but couldn't.

He then saw Dr. Cain run up and cut the machine with his sword, destroying the Sol Card and the energy machine.

X suddenly felt a surge of energy run through him. All the reploids on the rooftop slowly began to rise up again.

Zero and Axl where first, followed by Signas and the others. Zero and Axl ran over to X and Dr. Cain.

Alia was knocked off of Sigma and landed near X. X ran over to her and helped her up.

"NO! MY MACHINE!" Sigma yelled as he saw the Midnight Breaker begin to destroy itself.

On the front of the machine was a large lamp-like tower that shot the energy downward, this was where Sigma had been when the energy was siphoned from the other reploids and into his body. Sigma ran there and tried to gain any power he could, but he couldn't. Quickly he glared at Alia.

"YOU!" He yelled at Alia.

Alia screamed and tried to hide behind X, but Sigma hit X, knocking him to the ground.

Suddenly Alia and Sigma screamed at the same time, both in pain. Dr. Cain had taken his sword and pierced Sigma, at the same time that Sigma took his and plowed it through Alia's body.

"NO! ALIA!" X screamed as he jumped to his feet and ran to catch her as she fell.

Sigma quickly fell to the rooftop, and the figure began to change. In a matter of moment Sigma was gone and Nocturne lay where he fell.

But no one on that roof was watching that, they were watching X and Alia.

X was on his knees holding Alia, his hand behind her head holding her up off the rooftop.

"Alia…." X gasped as he noticed that Alia was slowly dying.

Dr. Cain bowed his head and Zero ran up to him.

"Doctor…can you help her?" Zero asked.

Dr. Cain didn't speak instead he started in horror at Alia.

Sigma's sword and pierced all the way through her body and had sliced her sideways as Sigma fell, creating a large hole and cut on Alia's body.

It was too large for Dr. Cain to fix. It would take months…no years to repair her.

"Alia…please…don't…" X gasped as Alia slowly took her hand and grasped it to X's hand.

"X…." Alia whispered in a weak voice.

"X…I'm sorry…"

"…Sorry? About what?"

"…About not telling you…."

"Telling me what?" X asked.

Alia's eye started to grow heavy and X cried out at her.

"ALIA! TELL ME WHAT!" He yelled. "Alia….please don't die…"

Alia slowly looked at X and spoke quietly, so quietly that X couldn't hear her, but he could read her lips.

"I love you" Alia said.

Tears fell down X's face as he looked at Alia in shock, pain, horror, and sadness.

"Alia……please…just hold on….please….Alia…..please…." X begged.

"X…I'm sorry…." Alia said as she felt that soon she would die.

The last thing that Alia felt as death crept onto her was a pair of lips pressing onto hers. Then all was dark.


	23. CHAPTER 23: Happy Christmas X

It was Christmas day. The entire Maverick Hunter base was filled with a swell of activity. The entire base was decked out for the occasion with red and green lights, a large tree in the cafeteria, and green and red ribbons and garland.

Everyone was happy and having fun, except for X. X sat at a cafeteria table alone and watched as everyone was laughing and having Christmas fun. Axl was running around playing pranks on everyone, and Zero was talking to Signas.

Dr. Cain was nowhere to be seen, and for a long time he had stayed locked in his office, not even his aids where aloud inside, which was odd Dr. Cain had never done that before.

But X shook it out of his mind and looked back at the cup of hot chocolate in his hands. He was drinking the hot drink from a mug that Zero and Alia had bought him. On the front it had a large gold X, and on the back was the maverick hunter symbol. Zero and Alia had it specially made for him.

X smiled as he looked at the mug and looked up as he noticed someone standing there.

"Hey X. Happy Christmas." Zero said as he sat down across from his friend.

"Hey Zero, Happy Christmas to you too…" X said in a half enthusiastic voice. Ever since the "Nocturne Case" ,as everyone called had began to call it, he had been very depressed.

"So, are you going to be enjoying the party tonight, or are you going to sit this one out?" Zero asked as he drank from his own special mug that the rookie hunters had all bought him, it read "0 ROCKS!".

Which made the red hunter chuckle that they used the number instead of his name.

"No…I think I'll just go back to the records room…"

"X. You've been working in there since the Nocturne Case! What are you doing in there!?"

"I told you! I'm trying to find out more about this Dr. Wily that Nocturne was talking about."

_Stop X…please…don't try and look for him…don't do this…_ Zero pleaded in his head, because he knew that if X learned about Dr. Wily, and learned of the old Megaman and Dr. Light, and Zero's past…

"X…you need to lighten up! It's Christmas! Go have fun!" said Axl as he walked up.

X crossed his arms and looked away from Zero and Axl.

"Well fine, I won't give you your Christmas gift." Zero said as he stood up.

No matter how grumpy X got he would always love Christmas gifts.

"WAIT!" X said making Zero and Axl laugh.

"Fine here you go." Zero said as he pushed a blue wrapped box with light blue ribbon onto the table.

X carefully opened it, as to not rip the paper. As X opened the box he smiled and pulled out a new coffee mug. It was like his old one, only it was the Christmas version. The X was red, with green outlined. And on the top corner of the X was a Saint Nicholas hat.

X smiled and stood up.

"Thanks Zero. Oh and I got you something too!" X said as he reached under the table and handed Zero a box. It was wrapped in red and had a yellow ribbon on top. Zero opened the box and pulled out a yelled scarf.

"Thanks X!" Zero said as he wrapped the scarf around his neck.

"How do I look?" Zero asked Axl.

"Good Hahaha." Axl laughed.

"Oh and don't worry we both got you something." X said as he pulled out a new box wrapped in black with a red ribbon.

Axl quickly, and sloppily opened the box and was suddenly hit with a cream pie to the face.

X and Zero fell into the floor with laughter.

"WHAT THE HELL! THIS ISN'T A CHRISTMAS PRESENT!" Axl yelled through the pie on his face.

"That's what you get for the present you sent me for my birthday." X said.

"And my present from the Christmas last year!"

Last year Axl had placed a gag snake in Zero's Christmas present box last year, which made Zero yell and jump when he opened it, seeing as how the snake was propelled into the air and hit him.

Then on X's birthday Axl had placed a boxing glove on a spring in the box. When X opened it he was struck by the glove.

And now the two elder hunters had gotten back at Axl.

"YOU! Don't worry next time I'll make the pranks on you worse!" Axl said as he ran off.

"NO YOU WON'T!" Zero yelled as he ran after him.

X laughed and sat back down in his seat.

Axl and Zero ran out the door and into the hall, where Axl ran right into Dr. Cain and fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry doc……" Axl stopped as he froze in shock.

"It's alright Axl. Happy Christmas!" Dr. Cain said as he walked past the hunter and toward the doors, behind him walked a figure.

Zero froze in the hall and starred at Dr. Cain.

"Happy Christmas Zero." Dr. Cain said as he walked through the door.

The cafeteria was filled with chatter and X sat at the same table.

Suddenly the doors opened and Dr. Cain walked out with a figure next to him. Everyone stopped talking and starred at Dr. Cain and the figure next to him in shock.

The reploid next to Dr. Cain slowly walked toward X's table. X stood and starred in shock and met the figure in the middle of the room.

Everyone slowly turned away and left the cafeteria.

Dr. Cain smiled and turned and left the room, as he did he looked back at X.

X gave him a look, as if to say "Thank you, Happy Christmas."

Dr. Cain laughed and as he walked through the door yelled out.

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS MEGAMAN!"

Megaman starred in shock at the reploid in front of him, it was Alia.

"A-Alia….y-your…I'm not dreaming am I?"

"X…I'm really alive."

X hugged Alia, which was shocking to Alia and she slowly hugged him back.

Alia was herself, just like before she was killed. But she was wearing her hair all the way down, and it was quite longer than before, and she wore a light pink and off white dress.

"Alia…how?"

"Dr. Cain's spent since I died working alone day and night to fix me." Alia said happily.

_I'm going to have to buy Dr. Cain a great big Christmas Gift…_

"Alia…" X said still stunned.

"I was afraid I wouldn't be able to talk when I got here, but looks like it's the other way around." Alia said giggling to herself.

"….I'm sorry Alia….it's just…I don't really know what to say…"

Alia giggled again. "Well than, don't **say** anything."

X chuckled and pulled Alia closer and kissed her.

Zero and Axl stood at the door and watched from the window, when X started kissing Alia then turned around.

"I think we should leave them be, how about you?" Zero said.

"Yeah…let's go…" Axl said.

The snow fell gently, unlike the storm that had fell before the battle, and an aura of peace filled everyone and everything. The world seemed to be in a sleeping state, all the world besides Alia and X.

The two reploids kissed until they could no longer breathe. When they pulled away both of them were blushing.

"Alia…I love you too." X said as he kissed her again.

Alia had never felt happier in her life. But little did the two reploids know that right above them where two red eyes.

Red eyes that watched everything.

Red eyes that symbolized death.

Sigma watched them and laughed to himself.

He may be just a virus, but he had a plan. A plan that involved Alia and X, no one else. And he couldn't wait to execute it.

And as we leave these two be the Maverick Hunter HQ suddenly lit up with red and green light as Signas pressed a button turning the lights on outside. The entire city was filled with red and green lights.

Peace.

Love.

Merriment.

Friendship.

And Hope.

Peace had returned to Earth…but as all people know.

The worst is yet to come, for war always follows peace.

**THE END**


End file.
